Executive Touch
by Oa17
Summary: There is no beast nor Muirfield in this story. What happens in an alternative universe where Vincent and Catherine are best friends since her late childhood?
1. Prologue: Reasons and Memories

**Hey guys sorry for the long wait,, had way to many things to do and I just wanted this to be perfect! So this is the intro to the intro... in other words i am planning to have half of the story in the past and the other half or little more in the present. Let me know what you think, if you have any ideas or if I should go on with the story. Thanks! And yey! There is BAB Season 2! Way to go beasties. Oh, PS: you are welcome to be a part of a great beastie forum called .com!**

**Executive Touch**

**Prologue: Reasons and Memories**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

My name is Catherine Chandler, and this is my story. I won't tell you about a tragedy but I won't tell you about a fairytale. I will tell you what I have lived through to the best of my memories.

I have made my way in the world by effort and perseverance and I have managed to survive because of a couple of extremely special people in my life. No worries, you will come to know them as the story goes along.

All I can say is that the story starts in a Denver bar. Yes, a bar of all places.

My mother was a women of life, well that was how she said it. In other words, she was an alcoholic and drug addict that loved to be "in the zone". So getting to be 10 years old and your only memories of your mother is of her slurring her words and almost falling if not completely knocked out, it is not a very good childhood.

Oh if you think that you pity me, the worse hasn't still been made known to you. Every time she was in her zone, she became very violent. Yes she was abusive; the once respected Dr. Vanessa Chandler was now an abusive-drunk-junkie.

Anyway, I think that God at least didn't hate me completely since he gave me Mr. Gabe. Gabriel Lowan was an old man, maybe in his eighties, and he tried to help me as much as he could. He enrolled me in school and made sure that went there. He was careful to see that I had food in my stomach and that I was actually learning things in school. He was the one that was able to take me to the doctor when I got sick and was the one that actually paid for my medicines. In return, I gave him all the love that I could muster at a young age and kept his house, ran his errands and anything else he needed to get done.

So getting back to the story, one day my mother got home very drunk and high, and thinking about it now as a grown woman with a lot more understanding of the situation I don't really know how she didn't die of the mixtures she made, and had one of her episodes. She beat me so much that I lost consciousness and when I came about I was in the hospital with Mr. Gabe by my side. He told me that he had heard the whole thing and that he had called the police and that they had taken my mom away and taken me to the hospital.

Once I got discharged, Mr. Gabe was waiting for me at the hospital's exit with a small suitcase and a manila envelope. He took me to the airport. Once there he took me aside and told me that he had been searching and was able to find out where my father was. He gave me the envelope and told me to be careful with it. Inside I later found my passport and birth certificate, as well as a letter that explained everything that had happened to my mother and me. He gave me some money and gave me the plane ticket and told me to go in the plane and then get on a taxi once I was in New York and go to the address he had given me. Once there I would ask for Thomas Chandler and then give him the letter. If he threw me out, I was to ask for a phone and call him; we would then decide what to do if we got to that point.

He took both of my hands in one of his and kissed both my cheeks and forehead. I forced myself to let him since I knew that he would never hurt me. He told me that I was a special little girl, that he really loved me as if I were his own blood granddaughter and made me promise to never forget him. And with that I was lead to the new chapter of the book of my life.

Till this day I have not broken my promise to him, I remember him everyday and now I understand that he was an angel that was there to watch over me and help me. Unfortunately, I later came to know that he died about 2 months after I left, natural causes. He had no one in the world so no one claimed him and no one actually knows where his body ended. When I feel like I want to connect with him I just close my eyes and transport myself to the quiet evenings in his house, him in the rocker reading Great Expectations, as always, me in the floor doing homework or reading a book that I had borrowed from the library. Or I remember the ways he always gave me a cupcake and a small present for my birthday or the way he said sweet comforting words while I cried after my mom had beaten me.

So I got to New York, and I did as I was told. I was actually really nervous about looking at my father. I didn't know what had happened with my mother or if he knew that I was born. Heck, even at that age I didn't even know if he was my real father but here I was, 10 years old, filled with fear and drenched in rain.

I got to the address and was stunned to see a mansion; I made a double take, took a deep breath and went forward. I remember thinking "Here goes Nothing".


	2. Meeting the Second Man in my Life

**THANKS! for those of you who followed or reviewed! you guys make me want to keep writing and posting! here you go! i hope you enjoy! let me know what you think!**

**Chapter 1: Meeting the second man in my life.**

** Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

"This cannot be?" Thomas Chandler said as he ran his hands through his hair and re read the letter like a hundred times. I was sitting by the fire, towels covering my body and a mug of hot cocoa in my hands. I sipped the hot liquid and felt it go to my stomach but it didn't warm me. I was shaking but it wasn't because of being cold, I was just really afraid of what would happen and what would Thomas Chandler do.

After that all I remember is that he came to me and hugged me and told me that everything would be all right. Bad part is I remember I flinched and got out of his arms as soon as I could. Turns out that my mother had traumatized me for life. I couldn't be touched by anyone, I couldn't stand it, even though I knew they wouldn't hurt me.

My life changed again. He gave me a room and helped me decorate it with anything I wanted, although I opted for a very simple room, much to his disbelief. I was enrolled in a new school and I had no friends. I think that the part that scarred my father the most was that I really enjoyed being alone. I just ate and slept, studied and read, watched TV and listened to music. He literally had to pry words out of my mouth just to know how was I feeling or how my day went. I remember that once he asked me if I wanted to go and talk with a psychologist and I had refused. What I liked about my dad was that he always did what was best for me and he understood that it wouldn't work for me, personally, to go to one, so he never mentioned the subject again. (Plus he later learned from my teachers that I did talk at school with students when we were working together and I did talk with my teachers, so I wasn't completely antisocial, I just liked to be alone a lot, made me feel safer)

I came to love my father very quickly and I loved to hear his voice telling me stories about his childhood or about what fun things he had seen that day. It became a custom for him to come tuck me in at night, careful not to touch me, and sit on the edge of my bed and tell me a fairytale where everything was good and perfect.

With time I did let my father touch me. I remember that day so vividly. It was his birthday, a year after I came to live with him, and I had spent so many hours trying to find the perfect present to show him how grateful I was for everything he had done for me and how much I loved him. Well I was 11 so there wasn't much I could buy. I ended up giving him a birdhouse that we had made for my art class. It was baby blue with green vines drawn on it. I was so proud and excited to give it to him! It was the first thing that I had ever made completely with my own two hands and it was the first present that I was going to give to my dad! I went home with it and wrapped it in newspaper that I found in the recycling bin, yes I know but I didn't have wrapping paper nor the ways of getting it so I had to improvise, and hid it in the back of my closet.

That Sunday, his birthday, he took the day off and asked me if I wanted to spend the day with him and I of course said yes. That day I think is the perfect day in my life! We went to a baseball game and ate hot dogs, then to a carnival that was nearby and rode all the machines and he won me a stuffed bear, my first one actually. Then we ate ice cream while sitting in front of the ice rink in central park after we had walked through it. Then we went to a nice Italian restaurant to get dinner. It had turned out that Italian was both of our favorite food! The day came to an end when we went home and he tucked me in.

"Wait?" I told him and grinned as he looked at me in surprise.

"What is it angel?" I jumped out of bed and grabbed his arm and sat him in my bed. I can assure you he was completely stunned. I then ran to my closet to dig out the present.

He looked more composed when I came back and handed it to him. "What is this angel?" Yes he always called me angel.

"You won't know until you open it!" I was so excited and at the same time so nervous about what he would think of it. He carefully started to take the newspaper wrapping away but I told him to rip them. He laughed but complied and I was looking at his face while he looked at it. I held my breath and then relaxed when I saw a smile and tears form in his eyes. He looked at the bird house and then at me and then back at the house and then back at me.

"Well, what do you think? Do you like it?" I asked a little shy even though I could tell by his expression that he was touched.

"Like it, I love it! Did you do this yourself angel?" He asked as he held the birdhouse up and inspected it.

"Yes I did it and painted myself in art class. Miss Tyler said that it was very lovely and gave me an A+ for it." I said proudly as I saw him grin at me.

"Thank you so much angel! This is the best birthday present anyone has ever given me. And this has been the best birthday day that I have ever had, thank you for sharing it with me angel." He told me and I could see in his eyes that I had completely captured his heart.

I smiled and jumped up throwing my arms around his neck and giving him a tight hug. "I love you daddy." I told him as I hugged him tighter.

I had never called him dad and I had wanted to do it for about a month but decided to surprise him on his birthday. I had never actually touched him either and I thought that this was a good way to show him that I did love him.

He was momentarily stunned by both my actions and my words but then he gently hugged me back, I think that he was even afraid of me jerking back and who could blame him. "I love you too angel, so much. You are my life now and I love you with all my heart."

We stayed like that for a couple of minutes, happy for the embrace. I felt so loved and safe at that moment. He then tucked me in and went to his room.

After that night, my dad was still a little weary of touching me but after some months of me reassuring him that it was ok, he started to give me the mandatory morning and night kiss on the head and a hug, plus the random comforting squeeze of the hand and other forms of affection that fathers and daughters share.


	3. Meeting the third man in my life

**Thanks so much for the reviews and the follows! You guys blow my mind! Here is the next one! Hope you enjoy it as much as I had writing it!**

**Chapter 2: Meeting the third man in my life.**

** Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

Life went on as it should and I grew very happy in my new world. I had a dad that adored me and would give his life for me, I had a great education and I had no abuse whatsoever.

About 2 ½ years after I was there, we got new neighbors. Their names were Mary and Michael Keller. They had 2 sons and a daughter. The girl was named Alexandra, Alex for short. She was nice but too overdramatic and stubborn in the wrong ways. She was tall for a girl, had fiery red hair and beautiful blue eyes. The sons where name John Thomas, JT for short, and Vincent. JT was kind of a nerdy kid, chubby in a bear hug kind of way and wore glasses. He loved everything that had to do with science and computers, plus video games. On the other hand Vincent was tall and had a good body for a teenager, one of those bodies that you know is going to be spectacular when he becomes a man. He had brown eyes, lighter than chocolate but still not hazell that were warm and inviting. If you looked at them you would never know that they were siblings since they were all so different but when you started to see their parents and their family you could see how they looked like some relative or the other. JT was the oldest by a year and he looked like his paternal grandfather. Alex and Vincent were fraternal twins and had taken their parents looks, Alex like her mom and Vincent like his dad. The twins were 3 years older than I was (me being 12 and ¾ and them being almost 16).

They moved in during the summer and I learned by my dad that they were going to be attending the same school that I was going to. I remember that the first Sunday that they were at the house my dad had convinced me to allow him to throw them a welcome to the neighborhood barbeque and I was to be the great hostess of the day, which was scary yet cool all at the same time, so much for me being antisocial right. Better take the bull by the horns.

All I remember from that day was having to greet way to many people and ask more than a thousand times if they were enjoying themselves or if they needed anything else. I remember that half way through the event my dad told me to go have fun with the kids but I told him that if I were the hostess I would be the best one from beginning to end. He just smiled gave me a peck in the head and told me that I was more determined than he was, and he was a lawyer (although he worked for a non profit for a not so high paycheck). I remembered that I smiled but kept doing my thing. I was so tired when it all ended that after dad and I finished cleaning I went to my bed and don't even remember getting there. I slept for like 10 hours.

The next day at about 3 pm, yes I remember every detail freakishly clearly, there was a knock on the door and I went to answer it. It was the neighbor's kids. They had a pie in there hands and the boys had a smile on their face, not so much Alex. I let them in and brought them to the kitchen where my dad was. They said that they were here to give us the pie that their mom had made to thanks them for such a great and warm welcoming. Of course Vincent was the one that talked since JT was shy and Alex was giving the house a once over. My dad took the pie and offered them some lemonade and pie, which we all ate and it was delicious. It was apple pie, if you were wondering. We made talk, yes we cause my dad made me talk about how the school was and about the teachers and kids. I felt awkward talking about those things and kept my head down as I did so but at some point I looked up and my eyes locked with Vincent's. He urged me to go on with his eyes and his warm, brotherly smile and I felt that it was ok, so I kept going and felt more at ease.

That was the beginning of a great summer. During 2 months I came to be a frequent visitor in the Keller household and the Keller's in mine. I became good friends with JT and he, Vincent and myself had what we called "geek talks" where we talked about books, music, games and science. It turned out that Vincent was a geek as well and was very well read and knew a lot about science and law. Those were the best afternoons of my childhood, spent in the Keller's tree house talking about anything and everything with the boys. Alex was another manner. She would look down on me cause I was a tomboy and I spent my time with the boys talking about non-girly things. Besides she was a teenager and she couldn't be with a kid in public, although that changed when we were alone in the house. She gave me advice about how to look more like a girl and occasionally joined our geek talks, since she was very well educated as well.

As for Vincent… He and I became inseparable that summer. He was the protective older brother that I never had. I have always told him that he has this "damsel in distress" kind of complex. He always wanted to help people, in any way he could. He had a tender touch and expert hand, almost like a doctor. We all thought he would end up being a doctor and he thought about it for a while but ended up deciding that he would be a lawyer because he could help underprivileged people with ways to get the help they needed to stand on their two feet again, besides the actual save-your-life part when to Alex when she surprised us all becoming a nurse. Well, JT he became a biochem professor and researcher, not that anyone would have been surprised.

Going back to the story… he became very protective of me and he thought me to be thought for myself and to defend myself. My dad told me some years later that he was eternally grateful to Vincent because his friendship had gotten me about of my shell. Well thanks to him I started to talk to people and have actual conversations, I would talk to my classmates about things other than school projects and I would converse with my dad's colleagues in his office's parties.

Well, I thought that this would end with the summer and that all would be different once we got to school. But Vincent had surprised me by inviting me to come to school with him in his car, since JT hatted driving and Alex was grounded for going out with a boy without the Keller's permission, and he was the one driving everyone to school. It became a part of the routine that I would go to school with the Keller's, no matter who was driving. Although I have to say that at first Alex was kind of annoyed at the beginning with the fact that because I was Vincent's special girl, since I was the smallest and the one he protected the most, I had the privilege of the passengers seat every time Vincent was driving, which was often considering Alex was eternally grounded for X or Y reason and JT hated to drive.

Well in school, needless to say, Vincent rapidly became the "it" boy. The guy that every guy wanted to be best buds with, the captain of the football team and the guy every girl wanted to date or make out with. But through all of that, everyone knew that I was his girl, the baby sister that wasn't blood related but that was his, so I gained a newfound respect and everyone wanted to be my friend to get close to him, which in turn made him even more protective. So he never turned me away, quite the contrary, while giving me space to be myself and do things my way, he pulled me closer and that made me feel safe.

I still couldn't let anyone but my dad touch me, a trauma that I tried very hard to overcome but was still very much a part of me. JT and Alex still looked weird at me when I flinched if they brushed me while walking by but they understood as best as they could. Vincent on the other hand understood completely, apparently. He noticed this right away and became very careful of watching the people around me, making sure they wouldn't come too close to me so I could be comfortable and for that I was grateful. They didn't know why I was like that, I hadn't told anyone my story, only my dad knew.


	4. What A Way To End The Day!

**Thanks for the feedback guys! It apparently fuels my muse to keep inspiring me to write this for you guys! I hope you like it!**

**Chapter 3: What a way to end the day.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

Some years passed, I was now 16 and the Keller's were all at Columbia University, the twins as freshmen, by the way. They had moved into the dorms but Vincent came home every weekend to his parent's house, occasionally JT but Alex disappeared into college life, no surprise there. Because we were practically family, the Keller kids (now all grown up) called my dad dad and I called Mary mom and Michael pops. It was our way of endearing the people in our lives and our parents didn't seem to mind. Every Friday was brother's day as Vincent called it. It meant that he was going to pick me up at school as he was arriving in the neighborhood, which of course meant that a swarm of girls would follow me to see him and glare at me cause they were jealous that he played attention to me and not them.

He always greeted me with a smile and a "Hey hun, ready for some fun?" Then we would go catch a movie, any movie while sharing popcorn. After that it was ice cream at central park and then burgers at our favorite place a couple of blocks from our houses. Finally back home to get some sleep. Vincent would park the car in his driveway and stay rested on it while he waited for me to reach my room and open the window to wave at him so he could be sure that I was ok in my room. I don't know why he did that because he knew that once we hit my driveway I was safe, but he insisted on it and I wasn't going to make a fuss over that little thing. During all this time we would fill each other in on what had happened that week, his stories always being way more interesting than mine, books we had read, tv episodes or music that we had just discovered. My dad never got worried about where I was on Fridays because he completely trusted Vincent.

That last Friday of finals was amazing because it was another year gone and I was closer to go to college and then to law school so I could build a buffet with my dad, a dream we both shared. The Keller's had finished class the week before, and even though I told him to stay in the house and relax, Vincent insisted that we would do our Friday routine, even more that we were celebrating another year done for me. So we did but this time Vincent took me to a lake to ride some jet skies and then to an Italian restaurant that was for students near one of the community colleges. When we got home we noticed that it was dark, which never occurred because my dad always waited up for me. Vincent insisted to come into the house with me to check that everything was alright. And everything was but dad wasn't there, I was starting to get worried until Vincent pointed out that there was a message on the phone. We heard it and it was my dad saying that he would have to stay in the office to file some papers the boss had forgotten to tell him that where due the next day in order for the office to gain money from the government to keep operating. He told me to pack some things since he had talked to Mary and Michael and I was going to stay at their house tonight. So I went up to grab my things while Vincent waited for me in the living room.

I remember that I was in the guest room, which was mine since we had been doing sleepover since they got here and this was always my room as they called it, and they had even insisted on me decorating it to my liking but I told them that I didn't mind the way it was and that they should have it like that for when the family came. So it was about 6 in the morning when the phone rang, confusing all of us, since the phone never rang after 10pm in this house. About a minute later I heard a knock on my door and saw Vincent's face come into view. I turned my night light on and noticed that his face was paler than normal and that John and Mary were behind him. I started to get worried when he came closer and sat on the end of my bed with no trace of a smile in his face.

"Vincent what's wrong?" I asked him since he seemed to be trying to find a way to tell me something. I looked at his parents and they had these worried and sad looks in their eyes. "Vincent?" I looked back to all three of them, "Can someone please tell me what's going on? You are all starting to scare me." I felt tears starting to form in my eyes.

"There is no right way to say this hun, so I'm just going to tell you." He looked me in the eyes and said "Your dad had a heart attack and he is in the hospital."

I was stunned for about a minute and then I started to sob. I know that they all just wanted to hug me and give me comfort but knowing me they stayed away.

"Hun, get dressed. I'm taking you to the hospital." When I looked up Vincent had a sad smile on his face and I knew he was being strong and brave for me. "You know its going to be ok, your dad is strong."

With that they left my room so we could all change. JT and Alex were told to stay in the house because there were some relatives coming over in the morning and someone should be there to greet them. And even though I insisted that I could grab a cab and that they should all stay. Mom, Pops and Vincent insisted on taking me.

When we got there I was told in which room he was in and how to get there. I was also told that he was in stable condition but that he had had a very strong attack that had left his heart very weak. They also said that he would have to be in the hospital for quite some time in order to recover.

I remember turning around to find Vincent looking at me with much concern "What's wrong hun?"

"Vincent, I know that my dad needs it, but I don't think that our insurance will cover all of these medical bills and our savings account will only do a little. I will take the money from my college savings but still, how long do you think they will keep him here? I am going to have to go and try to get the bank to put another mortgage on the house and get a job, maybe even a loan." I could feel the wheels in my head turning and a migraine starting to form.

"Don't worry about that Cathy, we will take care of all the insurance and bank things. Right now you just need to worry about going to your dad and taking care of him." Pops said as he smiled at me. I smiled back and thanked him. Then with a deep breath I walked towards my dad's room.

Oddly enough, I felt like I did when I was ten. Scared and nervous, not knowing how my dad looked. But this time I knew that he accepted me and that he loved me, things that gave the strength to go on. Six years ago he had opened his house and his heart to me and had taken care of me when I had no one else to turn to, know it was time to repay him for all that he did for me. As I came to his door, I took a few deep breaths to calm myself and with a smile placed on my face I knocked on the door.


	5. The Night I Can't Forget

**OMG GUYS! you are all amazing! Thank you so much for the way you are responding to this story! I am having so much fun writing this and it makes the experience ten times as fun knowing that you guys are really enjoying it! Here is the next chapter! I hope you guys like it!**

**Chapter 4: The night I can't forget.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

"Come in." I heard the weak voice of my dad. I opened the door and smiled. Typical of my dad to be sitting up and trying to rearrange his pillows to his liking.

"Aren't you supposed to be still and sleeping daddy?" I could help but laugh as I came towards him and gave him a kiss on the forehead while I adjusted his pillows.

"You have a special tough angel! My pillows are perfect and I feel better cause you are here!" He was trying to be cheerful for me but I could see that his face was extremely pale almost transparent but it also had a kind of ashen look, I don't know it's just hard to explain.

"Daddy, the doctor said that you need your rest. Go to sleep and I promise I will be here when you wake up." I placed my hand on his and he gave me a weak squeeze and smile. He adjusted himself on the bed and I could see that there was something important on his mind.

"What is it dad? You know you can tell me anything? We're best buds, remember?" I moved forward and placed my cheek on his lap. He smiled at me and strokes my hair. I honestly felt like I was 11 again, living in a word were daddy would make everything bad disappear just like in his stories. Unfortunately I had grown up and had lived things that made me know that this was just wishful thinking.

"Angel, I assume that Vincent is here." I nod my head but furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "Is it ok if I talk to him for a little while alone?" I was more confused than ever but I nodded and got up to find Vincent.

When I came into the waiting room I saw that Vincent was nursing a coffee. His head resting against a wall, his eyes closed. I looked at him and I was glad that life had blessed me with such a great best friend / brother. As if he could sense me, he opened his eyes and looked at me. He got up and walked towards me.

"How is dad?" He was worried but not freaking out, for which I was grateful.

"He is awake and trying to move around. You know, typical dad. He does seem really pale and weak, but that we expected." He chuckled a little.

"We would actually need to worry if he didn't move around. That man cannot stay still for long even if his life depended on it." He went serious and his smile faded. He looked at me with pleading eyes "I am sorry, that is not what I meant."

It was now my time to chuckle and I smiled at him. "I know what you meant, and no worries I get it. Where are mom and pops?" I asked as I looked around him and didn't see them.

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. Grandma and Grandpa came in early and are at the house. Grandma got almost hysterical when she heard they where here at the hospital with me. She thought that mom had some kind of I don't even know what and she was about to call the police to bring her here since no one wanted to bring her. JT, Alex and even grandpa after he was told what was happening tried to calm her down but she would have none of it. She insisted on seeing mom, you know how big of a drama queen my grandmother is. So JT called dad and they decided to go back home to calm her nerves and come back in a couple of hours. I told them that I would stay here with you so you wouldn't be alone. Oh and this is for you." He handed me the hot cup of coffee and I happily took a sip.

"Thank you so much! I really needed this! And thanks for staying, you know you can go home and I promise I will call you as soon as I know something."

"You are not getting rid of me that easily hun. You know I am here for you no matter what, plus what are friends for if not to be with you in the bad times. I want you to know that you are not alone in this. I am here for you as well as my family, well ours because you are part of it." He had the genuine loving smile that always eased my nerves.

"Thanks again! Oh, dad asked to come her and ask you to go talk to him, alone apparently." I told him and almost spilled the coffee out when Vincent made a hilarious face!

"Really? What did I do? Oh, God I hope I don't get in trouble! Cause you know dad, even if he is in the hospital and I am in college, he would totally ground me!" I just laughed at that and with one last tortured look he went towards my dad's room.

After what seemed like forever and another cup of coffee, I saw Vincent walking towards me. He had a weird expression on his face, a new one actually. He was looking at me but he was also far away at the same time. I couldn't guess what was going through his head, even though we knew each other so well that we could practically read each other's thoughts.

"How did it go? How long are you in the slammer in?" I asked him to try to lighten the mood. I think it kind of did the trick, since he shook his head a little, apparently to clear his thoughts and then smiled at me.

"I actually am not in trouble. On the contrary, I was praised for my calmness in the situation and have been tasked in keeping you out of trouble hun." He had a cocky smile now and I was tempted to swat him in the shoulder to erase it!

"Me, what the hell did I do?" I said laughing as he tried to act serious and wagged a finger at me.

"Watch your language missy, our you are grounded. Remember I have that authority over you know." We both started laughing again and then he told me that my dad wanted to talk to me know. I smiled at him again and offered him the sandwich I had gotten him cause knowing Vincent, he hasn't eaten anything since our dinner last night, and went to my dad's room.


	6. Angel

**Thanks for the response guys! Here is the next one! PS: You might want tissues, I know I did!**

**Chapter 5: Angel.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

"Dad, how is it that now Vincent has to keep me out of trouble? I am a good girl, if you didn't know." I asked him playfully as I walked into the room. Then I froze. He was paler than before, if that was even possible and his breathing came more labored. I rushed to his side and grabbed his hand. "Daddy what's wrong? Are you ok? I'm going to get a doctor." But as I was turning to leave he squeezed my hand to grab my attention. I looked down on him.

"No angel. I don't need a doctor. We need to talk." His voice was weaker in sound than before but his tone was as powerful as ever. I knew better than to argue with him, so I just nodded and silently took a seat on the chair next to the bed.

He looked me playfully again and told me to sit in the bed with him, that he wasn't made out of paper. The way he looked, he might just happen to be made out of it.

"Angel, you know that you are the best thing that I ever had in my life, right?" I nodded and tears started to form in my eyes. Dad never talked like that and given the setting in which we currently found ourselves, I didn't like at all where this conversation was heading.

"You know that you are the love of my life. You know why I call you angel?" I shook my head. He had never actually told me why the endearment but he started to call me that the day I came into his life and I had liked it. It made me feel special and that was something that I need to feel.

"I call you that because to me you were a little angel that was sent to my doorstep on a cold and rainy night to shed some light on the grim life I had had after your mother, the love of my life, left me. You gave me hope for the future. You made me want to be a better man, a better father for you. You are the best thing that I have ever done in my life and I will love you always." By this time both of us had tears running down our cheeks but neither of us wiped them away.

"Daddy, why are you telling me these things?" I was crying a little harder, not hysterical, but the tears just kept going down my cheeks and I knew it would be worthless to try to stop them. My dad took his free, trembling hand and wiped them away, well before new one took their place and stroke my hair. It was as if he was trying to memorize my features.

"Angel, life is not easy, and you know that already. It's filled with injustices and hurt and pain. But you are strong, you know that. You crawled out of a black hole when you were just 10 years old. You know that you can do anything that you set your mind to. You have beautiful dreams for your life, due all that you can to achieve them honestly and in good stance. Never cheat or hurt your way to the top, it is not worth it and it will end up hurting you more than it would hurt the other people. No matter how scary life gets, don't let fear become a crutch, let it become a motivation to get past it and achieve whatever it is you are doing. Be happy, angel. Try to look for that happiness in you and if you can try to look for that other person that will complete you." During all these words he had to stop multiple time to catch his breath.

"Angel, you have great friends and a surrogate family that loves you and sees you as their own. Cherish them. Love them. Trust them. Thank them. You will need them with you in life to get through the hard things and to celebrate the good ones. Don't push them away." He stooped then to take a hold of my chin and tilt it up so I would look into his eyes.

"Promise me that you will go after your dreams no matter what happens. Promise me that you will try to achieve happiness in whatever way it suits you. Promise me that you won't isolate yourself. Promise me that you will love people that truly love and cherish you. Promise me that you will not dwell in pain and move on. Will you promise me these things?" I was sobbing uncontrollably by this part and I was starting to feel too sad, to hurt, to angry.

"Daddy why are you doing this? Why are you saying goodbye? Everything is going to be fine, you ARE going to be fine!" I was shaking and he just pulled me a little bit and I gently let myself fall into his awaiting arms.

"Will you promise me?" He asked me as he slowly caressed my arms up and down while he let me cry in his chest. I looked up and in between my tearful eyes I looked him and told him sincerely

"I promise. I love you daddy. More than anyone in the world." I hugged him and I tried to put all the love I felt for him in that simple gesture. He hugged me back, with strength that I don't know where it came from.

"I love you to angel, always and forever." We stayed like that until I heard the monitor sound start to change and then a flat line.

"NO, NO, NO! DADDY! DADDY, COME BACK! DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE ME ALONE? YOU PROMISED ME WHEN I CAME HOME THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU WOULDN'T LEAVE ME ALONE! YOU TOLD ME THAT PEOPLE DON'T BREAK PROMISES SO DON'T BREAK YOURS! DADDY I LOVE YOU, DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!" I sobbed and screamed.

I guess that the nurses and the doctors heard me screaming because I don't know from where I saw some nurses and doctors rush into the room with some equipment and started to poke my dad. A pair of strong but gentle arms caught me by the waist and started to pull me out of the room. I was fighting the person, not because of my trauma, I actually didn't think about that for one second, but to stay with my dad.

Just then we got to the waiting room and the person that was trying to keep me from my dad whispered in my ear: "Hun calm down, its going to be alright. I'm here with you, you are not alone and we will get through this together."

I turned around to see Vincent with a sad expression and a comforting look. I guess he heard me screaming and came in to try to calm me down. I just couldn't hold myself any longer. My knees gave out and he gently placed me on the floor while still holding me. I started to sob and turned to bury my face on his chest and put my arms around his waist. He shifted himself gently so that he could hold me better. I cried for a long time while I felt him rub gentle circles in my back, while whispering that we would get through this together. I could also see that after a while the doctors came out and nodded a solemn yes to the unasked question of my father's death. Vincent kept holding me and soothing me while his head rested on top of mine. I don't think he knows that holding me was what I needed him to do, that made me feel safe and somehow knew that my dad would be with me in spirit and that everything would be alright in the future. But right now, my world had crashed and disappeared just like the life had gone away from my dad. We stayed like that for God only knows how much time, and I will never tell him that I could feel the tears that he was quietly shedding for my dad.


	7. Another New Beginning

Hey guys! I am sooooo sorry for the long wait! I know there is no excuse for it but life got in the way. Just so you know this is what happened. First I had a lot of work to finish and finals to study for. Then I was taking finals, wrapping up work and moving out and then if that wasn't enough I am sick, as in wanna die cant move cant eat sick! But to finish all off I finished this chapter yesterday and have tried to post it like 7 times and this place wouldn't let me! But here it is at last and I hope you guys like it! I am also writing the next chapter and I will try to post it tonight to compensate all of you for the long wait! Thanks again for the love you have shown for this story! Enjoy! OA PS: Its a little short but I had to stop it there so it would not start just being a rant of incoherent words!

**Chapter 6: Another new beginning.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

After that day / night, whatever it was, everything went buy in a blur. I felt numb. I had cried so much after I saw my dad die that I thought I would never cry again! I remember that at some point mom and pops came to the hospital to find me still sobbing in Vincent's arms. They came by and told me that everything would be okay and if I gave them permission to handle everything. I absentmindedly nodded and the next thing I knew was that Vincent was carrying me in his arms towards his car and took me to his house to sleep, telling me that he would stay in my room with the door open just in case I needed anything. I told him that I would be okay and that he could go to his own room to sleep but, stubborn as he is, he refused and pulled a chair next to my bed. I remember that I wanted to feel safe again so I reached over and grabbed his hand and he caressed it gently with his thumb. He then leaned in and gave me a peck on the forehead.

"Sleep hun, you need your rest. And don't worry, I won't let anything bad ever happen to you again, I promise." With that I drifted to a dreamless sleep.

The arrangements were made fast. The funeral was 2 days after he died, in the Keller's lot at the cemetery. The house was sold because I needed the money to pay the medical bills. And since I was still a minor and needed legal guardians, plus apparently my dad had talked to mom and pops and they had decided that if anything happened to the other, they would take legal guardianship of the children. So with a will in hand and some layers present, I became an actual part of the Keller family.

I moved in to what always was my room and was surprised to see that they had actually decorated it with things that I liked. I was glad that I actually had people in my life that loved me for me, traumas and all. I was grateful that to them I wasn't an orphan I was another daughter and sister. Even Alex had turned all motherly and loving towards me, in a not overly freakish way.

Things kept fairly normal after that. During the summer I went with the family to mom's parents house down in Florida for the summer. And it was actually nice. They were careful to have me entertained as much as possible without overdoing things. In a word they were perfect. They knew what I needed, when to make jokes to make me laugh, when to leave me alone to think, when to talk about a great memory about my dad.

Vincent, Alex and JT where the best siblings I could ever ask for. They understood that I was now in the "awkward" stage of adolescence, as people call it, and did all they could to make me feel normal. By the time I got back for school and they left for college, I was much better and had gone through the initial stages of coping. I had gone through the denial stage and the angry stage and the wallow in misery stage. Although I wasn't completely heal, well we never are after losing a loved one, I was starting in the stage of acceptance and remembering with love and just a small amount of sadness.


	8. College Life

**So here is a second chapter for you guys today to thank you for your patience and support for this story. I hope you like this chapter, it was fun to write!**

**Chapter 7: College life.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

Three years passed and now we are in different positions. I am know the freshmen at Columbia while Alex is a nurse at New York General, JT has went on to Princeton to do a PhD in Biochemistry and Vincent stayed at Columbia to study Law.

During that time Vincent and I became closer than ever. And we had the same friends. I knew and hanged out with his Law buddies and he knew and hanged out with my pre-law ones. I remember at times telling him that he didn't need to spend so much time with my friends and me but he told me "But you are my best bud, hun. What do you want me to do be a super bad best friend and forget all about you?" He had his cocky "I will get what I want" smile and I just shoved him hard and he had to use his hand to not end up completely lying down in the grass. He just laughed and hugged me tight making me squirm on purpose and just kissing the back of my neck which he knew was my weak tickling spot.

To anyone outside my group of friends and his, we would seem like a couple but we weren't. We saw each other like brother and sister and best friends. There were no secrets between us and we gave each other advice. At that point in time he was the only person that could touch me so freely and I wouldn't flinch. I had told the family my past about a year after I was with them and about a week after I had told Vincent. He was holding my hand while I told them and I was glad that none of them had looked at me with pity, they looked at me like I was the strongest person in the world. After that I had learned to be able to let them give me a quick peck on the cheek or a quick hug, but none-so freely as Vincent. I don't know why but it felt natural and fine that he touched me and he was so gentle and careful with the way he touched me. We had talked about that and he told me that he would help me open up to touch more. He was the one that helped get the ability to shake people's hands when I met them or to accept small kiss or hug from my friends. Something that no one knew about was that Vincent was the one that took me to a club for the first time and taught me how to dance every possible dance that existed, including very, and I mean bodies glued together, close romantic dances. Another thing that Vincent was my first was in kissing. I know what you are all thinking and it was as awkward as it sounds. I was in my junior year in high school and I really liked this guy, so Vincent had already taught me how to kiss and how to get comfortable with hand holding but he was completely opposed to teaching me how to kiss.

"No, no, NO! Absolutely not! You are my baby sister for crying out loud! That would be…. No it would be just wrong. Like I am betraying the fact that I promised your dad that I would protect you! It would be like using you! NO!" He was flustered, I had never seen him like that pacing around with an angry / scared look in his eye.

"Oh come on Vincent, you know that we are not blood related and that this is nothing more than a lesson. You did promise me to help me get better at relationships with people and this is just part of it. Besides didn't you promise to protect me? Well if I go and do it with someone else and I get hurt it is all in your conscious!" I knew it was low to play the guilt card on him but I was desperate since I really liked Darius and I didn't want to make a fool of myself.

"Are you that desperate that you would do that low blow on me? Come on hun, please don't make me do this?" he had his puppy dog eyes at full work here and I was tempted for a second to let him off the hook but remember why I needed this so desperately.

"Come on it won't kill you. It's just a quick peck." I smiled deviously at him cause I knew that I had just won the battle.

"You are impossibly stubborn you know!" He said in exasperation as he sat beside me.

"Ok so if I am forced to do this I am going to do this the right way. You are not to have a French kiss at all, understood." I nodded my head. I was so with him on that I had never intended to have a French kiss with anyone, not even my husband if I ever got married. God no.

"OK so here goes nothing." I watched as he slowly lifted his hand and caressed my cheek. I didn't know why but I was excited and nervous all at the same time. It was my first kiss, even if it was with my not-blood-related-brother. He gently let it slide to my hair and cupped the back of my head, tilting my head to the right angle. He slowly started to lean forward, giving me time to back out if I wanted to. I could feel his breath on my mouth and I unconsciously closed my eyes.

Then I felt his lips on mine, and that kiss was perfect. It wasn't slobbering and it had a perfect amount of pressure. He gently teased at me a little and then slowly moved his lips against mine. I quickly matched his rhythm and I felt him pulling me closer as my hand ended up around his neck and in his hair.

Then we separated needing air. I felt overwhelmed. I had never done anything remotely similar to it in my life. It was the most intimate touch that I had felt in my life and it sent fear through me. Was kissing giving a little bit of you to the other person?

Once I finished my inner tumult and decided that it wasn't really bad, that it was something that I could get used to, I looked up to find that I was alone.

After that kiss, we went back to normal the next day and we never talked about that ever again. Although I do have to say that I was able to kiss the guy, who turned out to be a jerk, and a couple of other latter on.

I finished college and went on to follow my brother's footsteps and went to Princeton for it. Graduated top of my class and had a cheering squad family when I went to get my diploma.


	9. Friends Night Out

Thanks for the response you guys are awesome! Here is the next one! Its a time jump just so you know!

**Chapter 8: Friends Night Out.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

"Hun, ready to go yet?" I look up from the papers that I was looking over to see a smiling Vincent leaning against the door frame to my office.

After I had finished college, which I think I forgot to mention earlier I did on a full scholarship due to my grades and my lacrosse ability, I decided to take my chances and with the money I had earned in jobs and some little that had been left after paying all the debts after my dad died start my own buffet. I know its crazy but it was my dream with my dad and I had to go for it. My family had backed me up morally and I started it. After a couple of months, while still trying to get clients Vincent, how had come to work with me for a meager salary if I say so myself, he became partner with me.

It took us a couple of years but we now co-own the most respected and lawyer firms in New York, Chandler and Associates Law Firm. We specialized in putting criminals behind bars, my department, health care issues and malpractice, Vincent's domain and real estate, either of us who had the time took it, although it. Even though he was partner and worked hard to get the firm to where it was, Vincent always said that he was second in command, since I was the one that had started the company and the one that brought it to what it was. By now we had some other people and lawyers working for us but our firm prides itself for having the owners personally overlook every one of our cases, which ended up being completely overwhelming at times for Vincent and myself.

I smile at him as I take the files and add them into my briefcase. "Just about." I tell him as I start walking towards him, keys in hand to look my door.

"Please don't tell me that you took those cases home with you. God, Catherine you are overworking yourself!" He told me and then placed the back of his hand on my forehead "See you are warm, getting a working flu!" He placed a playful worry expression on his face.

I playfully smacked him on the chest after I moved away from his hand. "Har Har Har, you think you are very funny? What did you have for lunch today a clown with a side of comedian?" I tried to put the best angry and annoyed face that I could but it had to be very bad cause he just started laughing and not the chuckle but the full on, deep from inside, super loud laugh. Dang his laugh is contagious, I ended up cracking up as well even though I had tried really bad to stay serious.

When we were able to catch our breaths I was the first one to speak. "To answer your question, I am as ready as I will ever be."

"Well then", he took my hand and hooked it on his arm "let us go face the enemy line my lady". I chuckled but just fanned myself dramatically.

"Oh, let's go then my brave sir knight in shining professional suit." He chuckled and went our way only stopping for a couple of seconds to say goodbye to my secretary Tyler and double check that my calendar was still as I had needed it to be.

We drove to the bar that my friends had decided to go to, I think as a little joke to me. It was a little secluded and it had a forest on the back of it. It was called the Salty Dwang Saloon. Both of us chuckled when we saw the name and just went in.

And just what I expected, my friends had decided to take the table near the back of the place. Tess, Heather and Brooke appeared to have already gone through two or maybe four rounds of shots already. And that was just the pre-game since they were waiting for us to really get the party started.

"Hey, guys over here!" Heather was waving frantically with a huge grin on her face. She was definitely the perky one and the life of the party, well ironic since she was an event coordinator. Tess was the more serious, after all she was a detective. Brooke was the elegant one that fell in love with an older man that adored her and that had gone against everyone and had married the love of her life.

We zigzag across the saloon and got to where our friends were waiting for us and after some quick hugs and greetings and another order of shots for all, we drifted into conversation.

"Sooooooooooooooo, let me see it!" Heather asked, slurring her words. Well I see the alcohol is starting to affect her.

I smile and flash my left hand for all the girls to see. There on my ring finger shown a beautiful and huge diamond ring. I had just gotten engaged and this is sort of my personal engagement party.

"Its beautiful Cat! I never get tired of love. I love love!" Brooke said as she examined the ring. I know she is nice but this sugar coating every word tone means that the alcohol is getting to her too.

"Ok this round's on me! To I am woman hear me drink!" Tess said and we all laughed and laughed harder when Vincent cleared his throat and sat back on the bench.

"Well, you can drink for I am man stuck with the girls!" Tess added, starting a whole other round of giggles from all of us, Vincent included.

He downed his shot and said: "I don't mind drinking to that. While the other guys are watching re-runs of games, I am surrounded by amazing women, drinking freely and with no filter in their heads and mouths. I get more info on the behavior and ways of women spending an hour with you guys than reading all the books on the theme that you could find on the internet. Besides, I get to be the one that takes care of all of you and takes you home. How many men can say that he spend the night and took home 4 gorgeous and hot women?!" All the while he put on this oh, so innocent look that just won him laughter and a nudge on the ribs by my elbow. He faked being hurt.

"Now you will have to repay me for hurting me and me being such a great person and not suing you for assault. Come on, I know how you can repay me. Dance with me." He stood up and extended his hand to me. He said what he said not as a question but as almost an order but his tone was filled with so much humor and playfulness that I couldn't even fake being mad at him since the alcohol was starting to cloud my senses, just a little bit.

I stood up and placed my hand in his as he lead me to the small yet crowded dancing floor towards the middle of the place. He took me in his arms, wrapping them around my waist and I wrapped mine around his neck. We danced to I don't even remember what was the song nor if we were dancing appropriately.

I lifted my head from his shoulder and he looked down on me and smiled. I smiled back as I thought how that smile had meant peace and comfort through some bad and stressful moments in my life and happiness and fun on the better ones.

"Vincent, can I ask you for a favor?" I asked him, starting to feel a little shy about it.

"The answer is yes hun, you know I would do anything and everything for you. But ask away."

"Vincent, I know you don't like him very much but would you be the best man at my wedding? Please?" I could see the tortured look on his face. And I could pretty much hear what he was thinking. On the one hand he never really liked him, although I always think that for him no man was ever good enough for either of his sisters and he had the paternal instinct on full drive when either of us brought a date home. On the other, he would do anything that would make me happy, and this would make me happy.

"Pretty please, for me?" I was being honest and I know he could see that and I also knew that he had lost the battle even before it had started.

"God, that was a low blow Catherine. Fine, but only for you, because it will make YOU, not him, happy." He sighed and I hugged him, a silent thank you which he understood, since there was no need for words for us to communicate and understand each other.

"However did you convince him to accept this? You know as well as I do, better than I do that he hates me and more now that he knows that I never have really liked him." He asked me with a remorseful expression on his face. I understood that he was sad that he didn't really like my fianceé but he also knew how important honesty was for me, so he was always told me what he really was thinking.

"That was the easy part, a little pout here, and a little dogie eyes there, and a whole lot of my charm and I got it." I smiled triumphantly since I had been trying to get Vincent to be the best man at my wedding for some time now.

"Ahhh, the charm never fails my love!' He laughed genuinely and we kept dancing.

"Thank you Vincent. For everything you have done for me since we met. I love you!" I told him as we slow danced the final song of the night.

"No worries, that is what I am here for. Besides you needed a brother figure to scare those guys that only wanted you know what from you. Besides you know I'll do anything for anyone that I love, especially family. I love you too hun." He gave me a light kiss on my hair and we headed to the table to collect the girls, pay and drop of everyone before going home to bed.


	10. Working Life, It Can Get Messy

**Here is the next chapter! Are you all as excited by all the things coming from Upfronts? Oh and how about getting BATB moved to mondays? But most of all the season finale in a couple of hours? GOd I am terrified and excited all at the same time for this episode! and with jay that one of the major characters might die and may or may not be coming back for season 2! plus saying that it is going to be heartbreaking! Help my heart God, help my heart!**

**Chapter 9: Working life, It can get messy.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

A couple of days latter and another 20 or so cases that I wanted to get out of the way before I had the whole wedding details to cover. I had been planning it for about 4 or so months with Heather, well at least deciding the colors and the guest list and possible venues. Alex was going to be my maid of honor, Tess, Heather and Tyler my bridesmaids. Vincent was going to be the best man and JT was going to be one of the groomsmen.

Anywho, I had practically lived in my office for the past month, trying to get as much done as I could before I left for the wedding and honeymoon. Well, no I was wrong I actually lived in my office. I had clothes there and the bed was left out, I took showers there and ordered food in. Yep, how pathetic does that sound.

Tyler had been working some extra hours, not because I asked her to, but because she wanted to be sure that everything was in order and I would get no interruptions during my honeymoon. She came in every morning with coffee, which was a real necessity and blessing for me.

Vincent had practically moved in the office with me. He was the one that ran the dinner orders and forced me to eat and take breaks every once in a while He was literally worried sick that I was going to damage my health with all that I was doing. But he did help and we got about 17 of the cases done about a week and a half before I was due to go check the possible locations for the wedding.

One of the nights, Vincent had convinced me to go back to my apartment and do work there, where I was more comfortable and I could actually sleep in my own bed.

It was well into the night and I apparently had fallen asleep. Well the last thing I remember was that after I had taken a shower, I came to the living room to find out that Vincent had ordered my favorite chinese food and it was waiting for me. We ate watching the news, since I had stated that I had been so involved with work that the world could have been overtaken by aliens I would know nothing about, which, predictably, earned me a well humored laugh from my accomplice. After that I went back to work on my desk, double checking the final draft to one of the cases that we had solved and needed the files to be well, filled and Vincent had gone to take a shower. And there is where I say that I feel asleep cause one minute I remember me reading the file and deciding to rest my head on the desk for a minute or two and the next thing I know I wake up at NOON of all times in my bed.

Still rubbing my eyes I walk out of the bedroom to find Vincent asleep in my desk with the printed files on the printer tray. I took them and looked at them. Turns out Vincent had stayed up and had finished the work that I was supposed to have done. I smile as I walk to him and gently wake him up, he stirs in his sleep and then wakes up with that cute hair of his sticking out in all directions. I laugh a little as I run my hand through his hair and tamed it under my touch.

"Hey sleepy head. What are you doing here?" He just gets up and stretches, his muscle flexing as he does so. Dang any girl would be lucky to end up with him, hell I was lucky to have him in my life.

He gave me a small kiss on the forehead. "Well, I was pitching in to help you get more rest and the things done so you can enjoy planning your wedding."

"Thank you! You know you didn't..." But he interrupted me.

"Have to, I know hun, but I wanted to do it for you." He moved past me and towards the kitchen.

We spend the next hour laughing and working together in the kitchen to make ourselves a very good lunch consisting of chicken cordon bleu made by Vincent, salad and couscous made by moi and a chocolate cake made by both of us. Better said we were able to make a small cake since we ended up having a mini food fight with the mixture. That means showers for both plus cleaning the kitchen!

After that we changed and got back to the office, filled the papers (thank God that was done!) and ended the normal business day.

Yes Vincent had clothes in my apartment and I had in his. Well, Jt and Alex also had clothes in my apartment and I had in theirs. The thing is that the Kellers are a very united family and they love to call to tell you if its ok they can swing by your house to stay the night in like an hour. It was something that I was a part off, we all slept over at each others when we were in town and didn't want to hike up to our own house, when we just wanted a girls or boys night or when we had work to do and it was late when we finished.

But most importantly was the once a month compulsory yet fun visits to mom and pops! It had to be the most anticipated weekend I had every month. We all made time in our schedules and went back home for a weekend of relaxation and family time, we informed each other of the few things we hadn't talked about already and planned our yearly family vacation! Those vacations had started once all of us had steady and healthy jobs and we all were stubborn, so we each paid for our own expenses, except for mom and pops, whose expenses were covered by all of us much to their anger. By now they are accustomed but they still don't like it. Well they did get a little even since they always paid for a huge, fancy meal for all of us to close the fabulous vacation.

Well, next years is going to be a very different one since there is going to be another person with us. Since none of us were married, the close family was the only one that went there. That meant no friends, no partners, no boyfriend/girlfriend and for me this year, no fiancee. But we liked it that way, it was family time and we were onboard with the whole concept. But since I was going to get married, my husband was to become part of the family and therefore coming to next years vacation. Lets see how that goes!


	11. Meeting the Fourth Man in my Life

**Guys, Here is the chapter that some has asked for! It was written for a while but I thought that thus was the best position to put this chapter! Hope you guys agree! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 10: Meeting the Fourth Man in my Life.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

Another month has gone by and the wedding is a month and a half away. Thanks to Heather's skills, everything is almost done and perfect! I really love what we have worked with and what we have planned. I also like that my guy decided to let me do anything I want with the wedding since he says it is my day and I should have whatever I want, for it to be perfect for me.

Well I have to introduce you guys to my fianceé. His name is Evan Marks. He is a medical surgeon at New York General. England had a great lost when he decided to move to New York, to pursue his career here. But I was lucky because I found him, better said he found me.

I remember it like it was this morning. I was going out for a morning jog, as I do when I have the time to do so. I was so focused on running, the wonderful burning sensation in my muscles and the music coming from my ipod that I didn't realize that I was about to hit someone until I did. He was just bending over to tie his shoe and I didn't see him. We both ended on the floor. He was a handsome man when his light green eyes and his dark blond hair. Oh lets not forget the swoon voice and accent. If that package won't win a girl over then his sweetness and gentleman acts and his pure heart caring surely would.

So he ended up checking to see if I didn't have a broken wrist from the fall and we finished our run. It turned out that he was also squeezing in a morning run in his busy schedule. He then took me to a small cafe and bought me coffee and a donough. He said it was the least he could do after he made me trip, taking the blame since he said that he was reckless by bending in the middle of the running area instead of moving to the side. We talked for about two hours and as we both had to leave, we exchanged numbers and decide to go out for drinks as friends.

A couple of months later and a couple of outings more we were officially dating and I introduced him to Vincent. He had been very polite but I noticed right away that there was something off in their relationship. Evan had told me that he understood, Vincent was my brother and he was being protective of his sister, that he would do the same thing if the roles were inverted.

Few months after that, I took him with me in one of the monthly family visits so he could meet the family. They took to him like moths to a flame, except for Vincent.

Another month gone and he proposed. I later learned that he had called all the men (aka. JT, Vincent and pops) and asked for my hand in marriage because calling all the close men to the bride to be was a tradition in his family. He also gave me his mom's engagement ring!

He proposed in the most romantic way ever. It was better than anything that I could have imagined or fantasize about. It was winter but it wasn't freezing cold yet. There was light snow covering the earth but the lake where still liquid. On one of our dates he took me to a really nice restaurant, a little outside the area where we reside. After dinner he took me to a little forest area and parked the car. I have to saw that I was a little confused and not really in my comfort zone.

He went around the car and opened the door helping me out. I had told him about my past and my little problem with touch and he was very understanding with me. So we walked side by side but not actually touching. After a couple of minutes walking (thank God that I followed his advice and wore comfortable shoes!) we came upon one of the most beautiful sights I have seen. It was a beautiful waterfall! The timing couldn't have been better. The place seemed magical since there was a full moon out and it had tested its mother glow over the descending water and the light snow that covered all the area surrounding it. I was so focused in drinking in all the beauty of the sight before me that I didn't notice that he had dropped into his knee and was holding a black box with a ring in it. I turned when I heard him clear his throat and when I did I gasped. Ther he was all handsome proposing! I was so stunned that he had to ask me twice, before I came back from the shock and said yes.

I have to be honest, the waterfall that he took me too was so beautiful that I kept looking for little bits of information here and there until we got back. Then once he dropped me off at my apartment I went straight to my computer to google the place while I called Vincent and told him to come over. It turns out he took me to Chittenango Falls.

Once Vincent got there he noticed right away that there was something different about me. I smiled at him when he asked and just showed him my ring.

He was momentarily stunned but he regained himself fairly quickly. He told me that Evan had asked for permission and that he was granted just 3 days ago so he was just surprised that he had proposed so quickly after that. He then moved on to ask me if I was sure about what I was doing since I still hadn't completely liberated myself of the trauma. I told him that I loved Evan and that I wanted to be his wife, so yes I was sure of it.

He looked at me not quite convinced apparently but smiled and asked me for the details.

After he left, I made calls to all of my family and told them the news. They were all excited and we planned on celebrating at the next monthly reunion.

So here I am, a women who lost it all and regained more than she ever thought would be possible for me. I have a family that I love till death and a loving fianceé that would give his life for me. I couldn't ask for more!


	12. An Engagement Gathering?

**Hey Guys! I'm back! I got to recover only 2 chapters. Sigh! But I promise I will write as much as I can but please continue to be patient with me since I am taking intensive summer courses and I want to give you guys great chapters, which do take time to write. Anyway, for your wait I will post the two chapters that I got back and will try, making no promises here, to post a newly written chapter by tonight! Thanks for all the support and patience! All my love; OA.**

**Chapter 11: An Engagement Gathering?**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

Tonight is my engagement party. Honestly I didn't really want to have this, but mom and pops wanted me to celebrate. So I decided that I would make a small gathering with just close friends and family but I really don't know how it got so out of control. What was to be about 25 people gathering ended up being a 120! God, I hate being the center of attention, but I have to be a great hostess, just like when we did the welcome BBQ for the Kellers.

I had greeted so many people that I can't even remember who was here. Worse, I don't know half of them! I know that it is not just my tired brain not letting me remember people but the fact that they are people that I have never in my life seen before. When I talked to Evan he told me that they were his bosses and their families since they were going to be giving a big promotion at the hospital and he was the first in line and he knew that the position was his, so he had invited them as a way to say thank you for it. I smiled and congratulated him after asking him why he hadn't said anything about it. He just answered that he wanted to already have it so he could tell me and I would be proud of him. To which I replied that I was already proud of him.

The night kept going for me and Evan as the hosts of the party. We rarely saw each other as we were pulled to different directions when attending to our guests. Strange thing is that I didn't mind, and I don't think Evan either.

At one point of the night, Vincent came by to rescue me from a very boring conversation with some of Evan's medical were talking about the promotion Evan had talked about earlier that night. They were saying something like the fact that there were three doctors in line for it, Evan being one of them (although I knew that he would be the one taking it, since he already knew but he had told me to be discreet since it was best that no one knew that he knew, that would spake lowly of the bosses as well of himself). They also said something about the head at the hospital being very committed to family life and that he wanted centered and family men for the position and that two out of the three men were already married with children, except for Evan but that I was getting married to him so that would resolve the issue. Plus they wanted well off men, in other words men with a couple of thousand if not more in their bank accounts and investments.

Thank heavens for Vincent! Our eyes met for a split second when they were talking to me about all of this and it was like always, he read my mind and body language. He came by and introduced himself as my brother and kindly took me away for a dance. I smiled at the gentleman as I was leaving in Vincent's arm and grinned when I heard them approve of my brother. It was nice to hear appreciation for one of the most important men in my life.

"Thanks for the save, if you wouldn't have come at that point, I would probably be dead and my cause of death in the autopsy report would have read 'Cause of death: Boredom'." I joked and that earned me a deep laugh from him.

"Well then, its a good thing that I came by when I did. I would never forgive myself for not helping and in a way being part of the cause of death of the prettiest woman in this room." This he whispered in my ear and, even though I was mostly accustomed to him saying cute things like that to lift my spirits every day, I still blushed at my brother's comment.

"Thank you kind sir. I do have to say I think that I am being burned holes in my back, as every woman in the room in jealous of me dancing with such a fine specimen and all the men are envious of the way you have captivated the attention of all the women in the room." He just grinned and made himself stand up straighter and I just giggled at his bravado facade.

"Let us be the envy of the night my lady, and let me enjoy being able to dance with such a beautiful women all that I can tonight before she is lost to the sea of marriage." He twirled me around and caged me in his arms as I came back by lacing both of his hands on my waist, while I placed mine in the back of his neck.

"I won't be lost. You know you'll always be my main man! You are my best friend and that is not going to change just because I get married! Our relationship will stay the same." I told him, all the humor out of my voice.

"You know that won't be true Catherine, everything changes. But let us not talk about these things, let's just enjoy the night, ok?" I agreed but I could see that there was a sad tone in his voice.

I also noticed that there was something else in his mind, something that apparently he was unsure that he could tell me or not. I grew worried about what was bothering him so. I had never seen him like this, not even when we have really bad cases in which we presumed we would lose (although we haven't lost many, and we have won all the important and major ones, that is why we are the best firm in NYC!).The feeling got worse when we finished dancing and I caught him avoiding my gaze.

"Vincent, what is bothering you?" I moved to place my hand on his forearm but he moved as if my touch had burned him. "Ok, you are scaring me, what is it? Just tell me, you know you can tell me anything." I just stayed silent to let him organize his thoughts and get the courage to tell me whatever it was that he wanted to say.

"Lets go outside for a minute, ok?" I nodded my head and let him lead me to the balcony of the place. Although it had the best view of the city, it went unnoticed by me since all of my concentration was on what was bothering Vincent and what could I do to get him to stop that and smile again.

The silence was kept and it started to get extremely uncomfortable. I wanted to say something but I knew that it was best to let him ponder on the matter and decided what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it. I was thinking about the fact that we had never, as far as I could remember, had had this kind of a silence before, but was brought back from my thought by him clearing his throat.

"Catherine I don't really know how to say this and I really wish that I didn't have to tell you cause I know how much this is going to hurt you but I think that it is the right thing to do in order to protect you." He was rambling and he nerve rambles! And to add to my nervousness he was impatiently combing his fingers through his hair, a nervous habit he had and only did when things were really, really bad!

"Vincent what is it?" I was just cutting straight to the point, I don't think that trying to sugar coat things or trying to make them last longer would be of any use at this moment.

"Um... its about Evan, Catherine." He was looking towards the sky as if battling with himself about telling me anything else. I was more than sure that there was something big bothering him, and it wasn't the normal 'You know I don't really like him. I can't quite put my finger on it but I can sense that he is up to something', it was more than that.

"What about him Vincent?" I was surprised that I sounded more serene that what I felt. I had no idea what Vincent was going to tell me and I was unsure of how I would react to anything at that moment.

"You can't marry him Catherine. For your own good." He said looking me straight in the eyes. His only show the hurt that he felt for telling me these things but they also showed resolution and strong conviction of the necessity and truth of his words.

"Why Vincent? We have gone through this a couple of times and you seemed to have accepted the fact that I am going to marry him. Why the reversion?" I asked him confused as to why he would go back on his word of giving me his blessing to marry Evan.

****"Well Catherine the truth is that..."


	13. A Party Cut Short

**Here is the other chapter that I recovered, and the second you will get today! Hope you like it!**

**Chapter 12: A Party Cut Short.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

**FLASHBACK**

**VPOV**

God, Why am I here? Am I a masochist? Sure seems like it. I hate the man Catherine is going to marry. I don't know why but there is something about him, something I can't quite put my finger on that just makes me want to punch him and tear him to pieces to get Catherine safe and away from him.

Why did I agree to let my girl, my baby sister marry this excuse of a man. With all his english charm and bad boy looks and hateful accent, he had every woman bent to his every will! I would have never thought Catherine would be the type of women that would fall prey to this kind of men.

But hey, she was the kind of amazing woman that gave him surprises at every turn and he loved that about her cause it kept him on his toes. He loved that he had to try to predict what she wanted and needed and what she was thinking, that he had to watch his every move to not step in one of her bombs and make her detonate, although it was fun to have her on a rage rampage every once in awhile. It was a challenge he loved taking, he loved to see how much time it took for him to calm her and get her on safe ground again.

But it wasn't because it was a game, no it was because he loved the thrill of making her feel better, of being the cause for that beautiful smile of hers to appear in her face, to be the cause for the twinkle in her eye or the cute wrinkle of her nose when she giggled. I loved the rush of warmth and energy that went through my body when she blushed at some praise I said to her or her laugh when I made a joke.

I don't know why but my relationship with Catherine was different than the one I had with Alex. They were both my sisters and in a way I grew up with both of them (well give or take the age gap between Catherine and us as well as the fact that we came to know her when she was already ten years old) but I felt a stronger connection with Catherine. I don't know is like we know each other better, and we know what the other one needs and wants even before the other one knows himself or herself. Is like we have known each other forever, in lifetimes before.

I was brought out of my thoughts by some hushed voice behind one of the bushes in the garden of the hotel where the party was taking place.

I was going to quietly slip away from hearing another person's private conversation, since that is a bad thing to do until a phrase got my attention.

"You know I don't love her, I love you! " I thought that man, cause it was the deep voice of a man talking, was in the position of having to explain his love to a jalouse unbelieving girlfriend. I pity the poor guy but he will need to do more than tell her by the phone to convince her.

But his next words made me stay frozen in place. "You know this is all fake and I'm doing all of this for us!" The words registered and would have made me value the man for doing things out of love for someone else but I just let shock and anger run through my brains as I registered the voice and the accent in my head.

"I don't love her, and you know it Clare! I love you, it has always been you! You were the first one to agree with me that this would be our best course of actions!" I wanted to go and kill the guy for what he was doing to my Catherine but I also wanted to hear what his plan was and why he was doing it, if he gave that much away in the conversation.

"God, Clare don't go on a jealous fit right now! I have more than enough on my plate trying to be a great host to all the hospital's board members as well as acting as if I am devoted and hopelessly in love with her. You know that if there had been any other way to get what we wanted I would have taken it, but this is the easiest way and that is what I am doing for us."

I had to keep my hands fisted and concentrate on hearing cause I was seeing red and I could only hear my pulse ringing in my ears.

"Just remember my love, after I get married to her and stay that way for a year, I would be able to get divorced and go back to you a member of the board of directors of the hospital, New Yorks best medical surgeon and a rich man, since I have been very good at avoiding signing a prenup so that I can leave with half of her fortune when we divorce. Well maybe more than that if I can find anything dirty on her so I can take all her fortune for us!" He laughed and I could imagine the laughter of that Clare woman on the other side of the phone line.

"Well, listen babe I have to go play the devoted fianceé but I will see you when I get home tonight. I love you." WIth that he hanged up and went back in with a stupid grin on his face.

**END FLASHBACK**

**-EXECUTIVE TOUCH-**

**CPOV**

"Well that is what I heard. I am really sorry that you had to go through this but I wanted to protect you and the best way to do this is to get you away from him, calling off the wedding and sending this, this, man to jail with no money and no promotion." Vincent had started pacing as he was telling me his story and I was shocked at this.

On the one hand I had Vincent, the guy that was my rock and my everything since I was ten years old and then I had Evan the guy I loved and was to become my husband in about three more months. Both men I loved in different men and both men I thought incapable of hurting me because I knew they loved me.

"This would be the time to say something, anything really." Vincent looked tortured and sorry for the bomb he had just thrown me and was waiting for my response, rather impatiently I might add.

"Vincent, I love you and you know it and I trust you more than anyone in the world.."

"But?" He interrupted me looking me in the eyes with an intensity I had never known in him.

"Evan is my fianceé, he loves me, he would have never even proposed if he didn't." I raised my hand to let him know that I wanted to finish what I was going to say before he refuted my commentary.

"I am not saying that I don't believe you but I don't believe that Evan would do that to me. I don't know how to explain it but I think that this might just be a misunderstanding. I don't want to believe that either of the most important men in my life would do anything to hurt me, so I think that Evan might have meant something else, maybe he was telling an ex that he is with me now and you just misunderstood since you are so keen in protecting me. I just think we should.."

"No Catherine, you know I hate seeing you get hurt but I am sure of what I heard! What do I need to do to make you believe this?" He pleaded with me, his eyes bright with unshed tears.

After a couple of minutes of consideration, which I can bet seemed like hours for Vincent I came up with an option that would be ok for all three of us.

"Ok, I think that the best course of action for all of us is that we don't confront Evan about this..."

"But Catherine … !" He started saying until I gave him a look that shut him up.

"Let me finish. As I was saying, we do not confront Evan about this, we go on as if nothing has happened, as if you didn't hear a thing. I will make him sign a prenup, telling him is more for precaution since I am a lawyer and to see if he really loves and respects me. You, on the other hand, have until the day of my wedding to gather evidence about this you have heard. If you find something, anything, no matter how small I promise you I will call off the wedding, if you don't I will go on with it. The silence will make it easier for you to find evidence if it is true. Do we have a deal?" I was serious since I was looking at this as a business transaction, so emotion, no personal feelings involved.

I extended my hand to him and he shook it after a couple of minutes of consideration.

"Thank you Catherine." He seemed relieved but still there was some apprehension in his look.

"Your welcome. Remember you have three months to get this sorted out. And thanks for having my back Vincent, I love you! Now I will go home, cause I am tired of this charade. See you tomorrow in the office. Good night." I told him and kissed his cheek as I headed for the parking lot.

" Catherine" I turned around, "I love you too. I will protect you from everyone and everything. Good night and I will see you tomorrow in the office."


	14. The Eve

**Thanks for the feedback! Here is a new chapter!**

**Chapter 13: The Eve.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

It is the night before my wedding. I didn't want a bachelorette party, a goodbye to freedom and being single but the girls had another opinion. They forced me to the bar for drunken karaoke, which I was fine with but then a stripper, a cop dressed one, came by for a dance. Since I had only actually downed only two shots and a beer I was still pretty sober to be able to get up and make an excuse to go to the bathroom and slip out of the bar to my apartment.

After my shower, I went and made me some tea to relax after the night I have had. I put on my jacket and took a blanket along with my tea and headed for the fire escape. I don't know why but it had always been a great place for me to think and relax. It was the first place I headed to when I couldn't get a hold of Vincent or what was bothering me was something that I didn't want to talk to him about.

As I looked over New York and the sky that covered us like a black blanket, I thought about my life. I think I have had a little bit of everything that makes a life meaningful. I had known pain very early on and I had known what it felt like to be touched by an angel. I have known what it feels like to be a part of a family and what it is like to lose the most important person in your life. I learned what it felt like being able to count on family and what it feels like to be in love with a wonderful men.

Then, if I have been so blessed why am I not ecstatic that I am getting married tomorrow? Why am I so calm, even indifferent?

I know Evan loves me and he is a great man. Any woman would be blessed to become his wife, to be a part of this wonderful man's life but is that women me? Yes, yes it is. He loves me and he understands me, he is good to me and he will make me happy.

I just feel like something is missing. There is something that is making me think that I am not complete in life.

I know, it must be the fact that my mom and dad are not here with me, nor is Mr. Lowen.

A tear escaped my eye and I quickly wipe it away as I think about calling Vincent over. I needed to talk to someone and he was the person I wanted to talk to. He has been here for me since I started my life and he is the only person that knows all of me, he is the man that really understands me and really knows what I need. He is the one that I need by my side in this indecision.

No, it is tradition in the Keller family that the bride has to pass the last night as a single women completely alone, basking in the glory of having a new life with a great man.

I gathered my thoughts as well as my things and climbed back to my apartment. Closing the window behind me and going to my room, I tried to leave all the negative thoughts outside in the cold winter air of New York and start looking happily into the future I was going to build with Evan.

**-EXECUTIVE TOUCH-**

**VPOV**

"I cannot believe this" I say as I punch the desk in front of me and combing my fingers through my hair.

Its the eve of Catherine's wedding and I still haven't found anything! God she cannot marry that that... I rather not even say what I was thinking of him.

He is just using her! And I promised her father that I would protector and that is the same thing that I am not doing at this moment!

"Calm down Keller, you still have one day, more specifically 18 hours to find something to save Catherine! He has to slip at some point and what better time than when he is going to do the deed!" I try to calm myself as I emailed the private investigator again telling him not to give up and that if he needs to work overtime I will pay whatever I need to in order to save my Catherine.

Catherine, My Catherine. That sweet girl, even going through all that pain in her life, she still is too willing to believe and trust people. She hates to see the evil in people, even after being a lawyer and working against evil people in almost every case we work with.

I need to protect her, if not for the promise I made to her dad, at least I owe it to our relationship, to how much I love her. Cause I do love her, although she will never know just how much.

I cannot pinpoint the moment I knew because I think that I always have loved her. I can vividly remember the first time I saw her, I know it sound weird cause I was a teenager and she was only ten years old, but there was something about her that pulled me to her. It was like we knew each other before, in other past lifetimes. Like our souls were meant to meet each other and be together again.

God, the girl has got me smiling like a fool only thinking about her. If she only knew what she does to me.

No, she doesn't know and she doesn't need to know. I am happy with the way our relationship is. Would I like it to be more than just a friendship? Of course. Am I afraid that if she finds out about how I feel about her, our whole friendship will be ruined? Heck Yes!

That is why she will never know. I rather that she stay thinking of me as her best friend and brother. The person she automatically calls when something is wrong. The person she automatically calls when something is going her way. The person to kill hours of boredom with, the person to call when she feels sad because of her dad or just feels sick.

I rather be the eternal friend than the men that once was her friend and gave it all up because he had to let his feelings stand in the way of a perfectly beautiful friendship.

I shake my head to forget that line of thought and go back to working, the thing I have dug myself in for the past month to try to forget that the women that I love and that I vowed to protect will be getting married and to a douche bag nonetheless.

"God, just let me find some prove before the wedding tomorrow and if not just give me the strength to let her be happy and be there for her!"


	15. The Weeping Garden Part 1

**Here it is another chapter! Hope you like it!**

**Chapter 14: The Weeping Garden. Part 1.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

The day is here, the hour is here. In less than an hour I will become Mrs. Evan Marks. Yet I am not giddy or excited. To be honest I feel kinda normal, not even the slightest bit nervous.

I have been awake since three am just because I had a lot of work things on my mind, especially about the case Vincent and I were working on before I left work this last week to finish the details about the wedding with Heather.

Speaking of which, I wonder where Vincent is right now? What is he doing? I haven't seen him this past week, with all the details that had been in need of being finished for the wedding. Heck I haven't seen Evan for an even longer period with our work schedules being so hectic before the wedding and the honeymoon.

I have just finished a grueling hour of hair and makeup with I don't know which stylist and makeup artist Heather got for me but I do have to say so myself; I look amazing!

The girls decided that they were going to give me some minutes to myself in the balcony while they gush about the hot groomsmen in the main room so that "I can collect myself from the nerves and the anxiety of getting married" they said. Honestly I feel very calm and kind of strange. I know that is going to be a very different life from now on. I am no longer gonna be just Catherine Chandler, I am going to be Catherine Marks, wife of New York's finest medical surgeon.

That entitles long nights alone, missed dates and a lot of raising kids by myself. Not to mention, christmas parties at the hospital and dinner with the board of directors. But I signed up for this when I said yes to Evan's proposal.

I have a great view of the hotel's grounds from my room. And I love that the window leads to a little balcony that lets me breathe fresh air, which I love and really need in this moment to keep me from thinking of all the touching that there is going to be tonight, which I have been very good at avoiding.

At that moment I hear a knock on the door, its faint but determined. "Come in". You know I'm crazy like that, I let people in without even asking or seeing who it is, what if it is a psycho serial killer out to get me. Ok Catherine get a grip, what the heck has got you thinking crazy things like that.

"You know you should be getting finished by now." As I hear those words a smile creeps into my lips. Oh, how one single word from that man can calm all of my fears and make me feel safe.

I also hear how the girls all stay hush to make goo-goo eyes at him. Don't girls know how to be more discreet about these things. Wheeze!

"I know Vincent, but the girls decided that I needed to be left alone for some minutes. Apparently I am crazy and a liar for saying that I am calm and that I don't really need the minutes since every bride is supposed to be extra excited and jumping of the walls before getting married. Oh, and they also say that its bad luck if I don't get those minutes alone, something about honeymoon horror stories. Don't make that confused face cause I can't explain it since I really don't know myself." I told him as I laughed at the cute face he always makes when he is confused with something (that is not work related cause he has the best poker face that I know and knows how to use it well, only exception to that is apparently me, since he says that even when he has it on I can still read him as a book).

"Thank you for sparing the details of that since that is girl talk and I really don't want to go down that road right now." He threw me his dorky smile and I laughed until I locked eyes with him. It was then that I knew. I knew that he had found nothing and that he was making a serious effort to seem as if he was ok with all of this and that he was happy for me when in reality he didn't want me to get married to a man that he said was just using me and that would break my heart.

After clearing his throat he looked at me again and said: "Even without being finished and without the wedding dress you look beautiful Catherine."

I could see the sincerity shining in his eyes and that made me blush. I think till this day he is the only guy that can say something as simple and make me blush in that way.

"While thank you Vincent. The girls worked hard hiring people to do this!" We all laughed and then he turned serious.

"Catherine can I talk to you in private for a minute or two?"

The girls were about to get out of the room when I spoke up. "Yeah, sure. Is it ok if we go for a walk in the garden while talking? The thing is I would really love to see it and I know that this mights be the only opportunity that I might have since afterwards with the wedding and the reception it will be impossible."

"Sure, whatever you want." He made a made a hook with his hand and I looped mine throw it and as we went off into the hallway I called back "I'm going to be back in about ten minutes".

The garden was beautiful and magical, just like the ones you read about in romance novels and fairy tales. There were arches of lilacs and lilies and bushes of roses of every color that they existed. There were daisies and pansies and tulips and orchids.

As we walked more into the center of the garden, a little bench appeared and we headed in that direction. I could feel Vincent trying to decide how to talk to me, and tell me what was on his mind so I decided to start once we got seated.

"So how did your investigation go?" I asked him as I looked away. Better get this over with quick and fast and get it out of the way.

"Catherine, if I asked you why weren't you getting ready I think that you know the answer to your question." He answered in a sad voice.

"I assumed as much but I wanted to see what you got, even if you think it is insignificant." I told him as I tried to catch his eyes but he wouldn't let me.

"Why? Is not like its going to make a difference in your decision of marrying the man." He was calm but the pulse in his throat was so fierce that I thought that it would rupture his skin at any second.

"Vincent, I am marrying the man and you don't trust him. I yet have to find a time where your instincts have gone wrong and I wanted to see if your instincts or mine where true. I don't believe that he would do this to me but If you believe that he would then I am open to hear anything that you found on him."

He stood up and started to pace, not a very good sign if you ask him.

"Nothing." He said.

"Sorry?" I asked him, confused of what he was trying to say to me.

" That I found nothing, nada, zip on the guy Catherine. It was like he was perfect! No priors at all, not weird activity, no unusual visits or calls, not even weird notes or mail! The guy seems squeaky clean!" He said exasperated.

"Well ok then, now you know that he is a good guy Vincent and that what you heard is a misunderstanding!" I told him feeling as if he wasn't really convinced by the evidence that he had found, or actually lack of evidence he found.

"Catherine, I know what I heard and I know that with more time I would have found something but I didn't and I am not going to impede the wedding, so be calm about that. Just know that when things go south, I will be here for you. Always." He said with a sad but resigned tone.

"Thank you Vincent. You have always been there for me. And rest assured that if anything goes wrong, you will be the first to know. Now that this is settled, can we finish the walk in the garden? I wanna go until the end and see it before we head back and I get dressed. Besides we have four more minutes to kill and I want to spend them with you and not some hormone stricken bridesmaids." He laughed at my joke and looped my hand in his as we continued walking in "The Weeping Garden" as it was called.


	16. The Weeping Garden Part 2

**Wow, guys love your passion for the story so here is part 2! I hope you LOVE this one. (winks)**

**Chapter 15: The Weeping Garden. Part 2.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

As we were getting to the back of the garden. We decided that we needed to head back so I could finish getting ready and then we heard a man talking.

" Vincent, lets head back, I don't wanna intrude in this men's..." I was cut short when I noticed that it was Evan's voice. "Sorry, I mean Evan's conversation.

Vincent nodded and we turned around. We took one step but then I felt Vincent tense up and stop dead in his track. I turned to look at his face and noticed him indicating me with his finger to be quiet and listen. I was going to protest until what Evan said caught my attention.

"Sweetheart" (Sweetheart! what the hell?!)

"We have had this conversation multiple times already. I am doing this for us, not for me alone."

-Pause, someone speaking on the other line-

"I know, I know, it hurts me too! You know that I wish that it was you I was marrying in a couple of minutes, but this is what has to be done."

(At this point I was frozen in place, this can't be I'm either asleep and I am having a nightmare or I am hallucinating but this can't be true!)

"Just remember Clare, one year, its just one year that I will be married to that hermit. Then I will be the best New York surgeon member of the directors of the hospital that is divorced and a great fortune for us!"

(Claire, the girl he told me he tutored for the brothers and sisters foundation? Hermit? A year? Fortune? For them? What in the world is going on here!)

By the time I came to my senses I was right in front of him, everyone else in the world forgotten, the wedding not even in the vicinity of things that I would be thinking about at that moment.

"You son of a …." As I was going to hit him I felt a pair of strong arms grip me from behind, stopping me from assaulting that ass.

"Let go of me Vincent!" I told him, teeth clenched while trying to get free.

"He's not worth it Catherine, you'll give him what he wants if you do that." He told me and let me go as I stopped fighting him.

"I'm fine. You're right Vincent." I turned around to face Evan who had ended his call and was looking at me with a horrid look. Yep he knows that I know about his slimy trick!

"You are the worst men I have ever known, and that is a lot to say because I work cases that have to do with some very bad criminals. But with all honesty, none are as bad as you. And don't get me started on that Clare woman. You really had the face to present me as your fiancee to your girlfriend! That is low, even for a bad men. Oh and just so you know, even if we were going to divorce in a year, you would have gotten not even a cent of my money." I told him as I felt the anger rising in me again.

"You being a lawyer should know that when there is a divorce, after a marriage of one year minimum the money that the pair owns is divided in half. I would come out as if having nothing because all my money goes to an account in Clare's name so I don't have a penny to my name but I would get half of your fortune." He said with a stupid grin on his face. What I would have given to wipe it off with a punch!

"Well, as you have pointed out, I too did the same." He looked at me confused, as did Vincent.

"Well if you must know, about a month ago, I transferred all of my money and my company to Vincent, without him knowing it. That meant that if there ever was something gone awry between us, you would have gotten zero dollars from me, since I also don't have a penny to my name." I told him while laughing at the face of pure horror that he had on.

"Yes, since you evaded the prenup arrangement, I decided to take care of matters in another way. You really didn't think I was that stupid, did you? I wouldn't be running New York's best law firm if I was." I laughed as I went to stand by Vincent and loop my arm through his.

"I have to thank my brother here for being more opened minded that I was. He was the one that was perceptive and noticed that something wasn't quite right with you and let me know. Because of that I had the idea of giving him everything I own. So in reality, if you want any kind of money you would have to marry him and not me. And I don't really think that you are his type, right Vincent?" By this time I could see that Vincent was trying to hide his laughter behind an apparent cough fit.

"You are right Catherine, he is too backstabbing for my liking, besides I am a female only kind of guy." We were laughing at how mad Evan was getting! Well good, although I do believe that I should be the one that is mad, I was the one that has been betrayed not him.

"Oh just in case you hadn't gotten the message yet, the wedding is off and I don't want to see you near me or anyone I know ever again, do you understand me? Remember that I have a lot of connections and that I can get a restraining order that will obligate you to go back to England or even go to the south pole!" With that I pulled Vincent and we started our way back.

After we were away from the scene of deception, Vincent cleared his throat and told me:

"Um... Catherine, your room is the other way."

"I know" I told him "but I rather deal with the guest sooner rather than later, you know, get this out of the way."

"Ok, but are you sure you are on the right mind to do so? You just went through a very hard thing just a minute ago." He pulled me to a stop and forced me to face him.

"Vincent, I know myself, you know me and we both know that I should do this while I feel strong and confident because when I assimilate all of this later I will have a meltdown and I will for sure not be in the right mind to do this." I told him.

"Catherine, let me do this for you, you have been through enough to now have to face all the guests with this." He told me with a very concerned look on his face.

"Vincent, this is my responsibility and I will be able to face the guests, don't worry. Besides I have you as backup if anything goes awry." He laughed.

"Yeah big brother always here to come to the rescue. I just might need a minute or two to get my superman cave to be able to fly away with you."

We laughed and joked until we got to the area where the guests were already seated and waiting for the ceremony to begin.

"Here goes nothing." I told Vincent as I took a deep breath and, still in my robe, went to the altar and faced the guests.


	17. Aftermath

**Here's another chapter! Hope you enjoy it!**

**Chapter 16: Aftermath**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

"Well that went better than I expected." I told Vincent once every guest had gone home and we had taken everything down.

Honestly all seems like a haze to me. I remember that I went to the altar and everyone was looking at me all weird. Well of course they were, I was the bride and I was there with no groom and in a robe. Well at least I had my hair and makeup done so I didn't look like a drab.

I also remember that my family and bridesmaids where there looking for me cause I had stayed with Vincent for way too long and they were afraid that the wedding would start late because of that. Go figure.

I remember that I said that Evan and I had talked and decided that the best course of action for both of us was to not get married. I remember that at people's questions I just answered that Evan and I had different interests in life and that he had unresolved feelings for his ex. Even though I wanted to let everyone know what and ass Evan really was, I wasn't in the mood for causing a scene and having to answer more questions. I was tired and just wanted to get the heck out of there. Oh, no worries I will find many other ways for people to find out who he really is, I am a lawyer anyway. (There are a certain group of medical board members that I think will really love this story.)

During the whole time I had Vincent on one side and pops on the other. I was surrounded by family, (mom, JT and Alex) as well as my friends, clients and colleagues. On the other hand I also was near some very angry british people and I just told them that I was very sorry that they had flown in for this and that I hoped that apart from this they would enjoy the USA. I then excused myself and went and talked to some of the guests.

After the family got everyone in their cars back home or their rooms in the hotel (with food, cake and drinks cause we weren't going to let those go to waste since they were already paid for), we got around to take every canopy, every flower down, fold all of the table cloths and organize the silverware and cups.

"Honestly I would have told them all what Evan did, but you handled yourself like a real lady. He should be grateful, since he didn't deserve that after what he did." He was so focused in what he was saying that I could see that he was thinking of ways in which he could make Evan pay for what he did to me. He realized what he was saying because he looked really guilty when he said he was sorry.

"Really Vincent don't worry. I am fine, and you know I would never lie to you. Honestly I am upset because I was naive and believed in him and never even suspected it as well as the fact that I am not married, which I would be at this moment, but I don't think the whole thing has sunken in yet." I told him as I folded the last of the tablecloths.

"Its ok, you know I'm here for anything you need me. But lets go up to bed, you need to rest."

He took me by the hand and looped it in his, leading me to my room and then going to his.

Well going and organizing the silverware and cups was my doing and was done later. We had all gone up to our rooms but I just couldn't sleep. And I definitely didn't want to think about all that had happened so I needed a distraction. And what better distraction than to organize spoon, forks, knives and glasses. Well at least is better than just trashing a hotel room.

As I was almost halfway through my endeavour (and it was like 5 in the morning, an half an hour after we had supposedly gone up to bed) I heard someone come into the room.

I looked around but I couldn't see anyone coming. I went back to organizing things but I heard movement again.

At this point I was starting to get worried. If it was someone I knew they would have "presented" themselves once they came inside. If it was a hotel employee they would have said good morning and would have gone on to tell me not to do what I was doing because this was his or her job but "Thank you very much miss".

Another noise interrupted my thoughts. I grabbed one of the knives that I was working with and called out. But no one answered.

I called out again, this time sounding pissed of (which is the opposite of what I was feeling since I was "pee in my pants terrified" as my brother JT says). Again no answer.

Then, out of nowhere I feel a pair of hands go around my waist and up my hand to catch the wrist with the knife while the other one simultaneously went to cover my mouth.


	18. Scared

**Thanks for the reviews guys! Sorry for the slow updates, Im taking summer courses in college and they are killing me! Only a month and a week to go of this torture! Enjoy this update!**

**Chapter 17: Scared**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

I was struggling against the grip but the person was strong. By the strength, the body built and height I knew that it was a man. On the other hand I couldn't see who he was. First of all he was grabbing me from behind, second he had turned me so that the light was toward his back so that, if I could catch a glimpse of him, which was simply impossible, I would only see shadows and, if I was lucky, the outline of his face. I kept struggling and twisting with all of my might and what I suppose was seconds seemed like an eternity of minutes to me.

I was starting to get tired but I kept shoving and pushing and twisting, well at least trying to, until I heard a familiar voice.

"Its ok, its me." A deep masculine voice whispered in my ear. I stopped struggling and went still.

"Damn it Vincent you are going to kill me of a heart attack if you do that to me!" I told him trying to catch my breath after he had removed his hand from my mouth and had taken a step back.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." I could see that he was honestly worried but there still was a hint of humor in his tone and a certain gleam in his eyes. In other words he meant "I'm sorry but that was fun for me!"

"No I'm not kidding Vincent, I could have hurt you!" I told him as I placed down the knife that I had clutched as a way to defend myself.

"First of all you are not as strong as I am so I could have easily overpowered you and second that is a butter knife, so the most damage that can do is a bruise or a poke in the eye." He told me while trying to stifle a laugh. Which was unsuccessful, especially when he looked at the horrored locked in my face when I realized I had grabbed the wrong type of knife for defence.

"Yeah, well at least I grabbed something to defend myself and I was alert to hear suspicious sounds." I hastily said to try to cover up my mistake in silverware choosing.

"Yep, you keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel happy." He was laughing wholeheartedly at this point. Well his laughter was so bad that he was clutching his side, gasping for air and wiping away a few stray tears.

"You think that is funny Keller, well would you have thought it funny if it hadn't been you. Maybe if Evan had decided to come back and take revenge of my stopping his plans by killing me." This sobered him up instantly.

"Don't say that, not even as a joke Catherine." There was his big brother "don't do that" tone coming out, yeah now cause I flipped the game and I was winning. Jeez, sore loser.

"Says the guy who "play attacked me" to have some fun without even thinking about how I would feel." I told him trying to seem serious but I still couldn't help myself from doing air quotes on play attack me.

"I am sorry Catherine, I was not thinking of how this would seem to you , I..." He was interrupted by my sudden burst of laughter.

"Ha, Ha, Ha, very funny Catherine. Now seriously you are right, I should have thought things through. I'm Sorry." He grabbed some silverware and started shining and sorting it out. "How are you holding up, hun?"

"Well I think that fine-ish considering what happened. I just couldn't sleep and I thought that this was a more productive way to cope than trashing the hotel room." I told him as I started to sort as well.

"I agree that this is more productive, but I also think that trashing the room would have been a great more deal of fun..." He said wiggling his eyebrows to emphasize fun.

"True but then we would have had to pay for it and we would have been banned from the hotel forever, and it is a really nice place."

"Well you are right about it being a nice hotel but it would have been you that was banned, not me, I could have still come here whenever I wanted." He said as he play shoved me to the side.

"That my friend is easily resolved, I would have changed my hair color, donned some contact lenses and booked it under your last name, and use your credit card. I would have come in here either as if I was Alex, a relative of yours or your wife and you were paying for a little vacation for me and that my friend is how you fool the foolish." I triumphantly stated my logic and I saw that he was trying to find holes in my reasoning.

"Well that would have been a good plan if..." He paused for dramatic effect.

"If what? O ye smart one" I said sarcastically.

"Well, first I would have had to come because I am the only one allowed to sign with my credit card, second that would mean that it would have been a dual vacation and third you do know that if you were to come here as my wife, as you said, we would have had to share a room right? Because what men in their right minds would send their beautiful wife to a hotel, alone for a vacation?" He said as he was taking the knives and moving them to the cart they were to be left in.

"That one is easy, I would say that my handsome husband is away on a business trip and that he loves me so much and he is so confident of my love for him that he sent me alone to get pampered for a few days before he comes here to join me." I responded with a grin because I knew I had one.

****"Touche, hun. Touche. Although I certainly wouldn't. I would go crazy thinking about all the men that would be wishing that my wife was theirs. On the other hand, I would be very glad and proud that she was my wife and not theirs." And then we fell into a comfortable silence, each deep in our own little world of thoughts.


	19. An Idea

**Sorry for the super slow update! Just so you know I do plan on finishing this story I am just taking intensive summer school to get a little bit ahead in my curriculum so I eat, breath and sleep my classes! SO please be patient and I will try to update as frequent and as soon as I possibly can! Thanks for all your support! Here is the new chapter!**

**Chapter 18: An idea**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

I think we were silent and sorting for about an hour and a half when we finished. We cleaned up after ourselves and as we were going out an employee came in. He said good morning and then looked at the job we had done. He asked if we had done that and when we said we had done so, he went into the expected speech. Thank you very much but that is my job, you are guests here and you should enjoy yourselves and not work. Well, he didn't really know what had happened last night and hadn't gone around to hear about it apparently, for which I was thankful.

Out of the whole thing I think that the consequence I dread the most is the pity looks I will be getting from everyone that knows about what happened, which is probably everyone cause this kind of information travels fast, for God only knows how long.

As we left the room, I looked back and saw the smile on the kids face. I was glad that my idea of distraction was actually a favor to the kid who, I can bet, was working here for some extra cash for him or a girl.

Vincent and I decided that we would head to our rooms to take a shower and get changed so that we could meet the family downstairs so we could get some breakfast and get on with our day.

Once I got to my room I decided that I wasn't going to be sad about what had happened, if anything it made me stronger, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger right? So after my shower I opted to put on a bright and fun sundress, some flirty strappy wedges, do my hair in light curls and do a fresh looking makeup. It wasn't high profile but it wasn't a "walloping in pain" look. It was more of a "I'm a survivor and this won't break me" kind of look.

Everybody was already there when I got to the table. As I approached them, they smiled and Vincent got up to pull my chair. I was thankful that none of them had the pity look. I love my family, they know me so well. They know what I need and how I am feeling even if I try to convince them of that the opposite is true.

"How did you rest sweetheart?" My mom asked as she passed me a plate of fruits.

"Honestly mom I didn't even sleep a blink. I was tossing and turning for about half an hour after we all went to our rooms and then I decided to go down. There was nothing to do so I ended up back at the reception area polishing and sorting out the silverware." I told her as I added some cream cheese to a bagel.

"Honey, if you wanted to talk or have some company you should have woken any of us up." Pops said as he looked at me right in the eyes.

I lowered my eyes from his as I answered. "I know pops, but honestly I just wanted to be alone but busy and that seemed like a good thing to focus on. Well it was either that or work, and I think you would have prefered that I didn't work. Besides, you all were so exhausted that I wanted to let you all sleep."

"Honestly Cat I was up like for a while and caught like 20 minutes of sleep before coming here. And before you ask, I was catching up and watching episodes from the different series I like. I am like a month behind on all of them!" Alex said as she waved a fork with a strawberry in my direction.

"Well now we know why she hasn't had a date in a while." JT said as he drenched some pancakes with syrup.

"And why is that?" Alex retorted while rolling her eyes at our brother's sweet tooth.

"Because you are too busy with your shows that you are dating them instead of human beings." He answered as he took a huge bite of his breakfast.

"Nice one. Especially from the science nerd that took almost two years to talk, just talk to Sarah, let alone ask her out. And what were the words you told her the first time you approached her? Oh that's right "Hi, awkward silence, well bye". Smooth, very smooth brother." Alex said as she crossed her arms after acting out our brothers flunder.

We all started laughing at this, even JT and Sarah.

"Well at least he came up and said something!" Sarah said as she tried to control her laughter.

"True, so true!" Alex said throwing her hands in the air, a sign that she gave up in the conversation.

"Well, I was up for a while working a little bit on my manuscript while your brother slept, so I could have helped if you wanted it." Sarah said to me as she took a sip from her glass of water.

"Guys don't worry. I appreciate all of your concerns but I wasn't alone down there for too long. Vincent came down looking for me and stated with me until he escorted me back to my room to shower and come here." I told them as I kept eating my breakfast, enjoying the way my family could make me feel better without even trying to.

"Now I feel better knowing that you weren't alone down here. Who knows what can happen to a young woman who is alone at those hours." Pops told me as he asked for a refill of his coffee.

I didn't say a word because all I wanted to say was that I can defend myself, but knowing pops that would have only brought on a fight that I was in no mood to partake in.

After a moment of silence mom says: "Cat, honey, I was thinking, that, umm, since it is already paid for, umm, you could go on the honeymoon alone."

I was shocked that my mother even thought that this was a good idea, so I just stared at her since I found that my voice had left me.

"You see sweetie, you have always said that you wanted to go to Hawaii and this is a great opportunity to do so. Besides its a great way to keep you mind of what happened."

"Honestly mom, I think that going there would be the complete opposite. I would be thinking all the time about what he did to me and that I was supposed to be there at that moment as his wife." I told her.

"Sweet heart, you would go and focus on seeing the great things that place has to offer. It would be like the vacation alone you have never have. Or you can take a friend with you so you won't be alone and they could make sure that you don't think, just loosen up and have some good, old fun!" Mom insisted.

"If you want I can try to get some days off, from the hospital and we can have a girls only vacation." ALex said as she dug in her purse for her cellphone.

"Thanks Al, but I am not going on a vacation. Its not that I wouldn't love to go with you is that I don't feel like going on one, not now. Plus there is a lot of work at the firm that I need to do." I told my sister as I played with the cloth napkin resting on my lap.

"No there is not. You know that you left everything done ahead of time so that is covered for the duration of the trip and maybe another extra week. Besides, any other thing that happens I can take care of it. You were the one that left me in charge of everything remember? So you are better than fine to go on this trip." Vincent told me with a smug smile, telling me that there was no way I was going to win this battle, even though I was glaring at him.

"Honestly thank you all, but I am not going on that trip and that is final." I said as I picked up the fork and continued with my breakfast.


	20. Honeymoon for one

**Sorry for the long wait! The classes are killing me and running my life! I will try to add more chapters this month but I might not be able! I am so sorry but please don't give up on my story! I will post more in late august early september! That is a promise!**

**all my love,**

**OA**

**Chapter 19: Honeymoon for one.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

"I cannot believe that I am here." I said to myself as I came of the airplane.

This place is simply magical. I have always been in love with this place. I even went so far as to secretly wanting to get married here in Honolulu. Who wouldn't? This place is paradise, a little piece of heaven on earth.

The plane ride here was... different. Ok, so you know that there is a not so exciting feeling when you are flying to some place that you have either been there before and don't find exciting or are going on business and don't have time to actually enjoy the stay. This one was totally different. On one side I was calm and collected since I am accustomed to flying between New York and our Chicago offices. On the other side, I am as giddy as a child going to Disney for the first time.

The view of Honolulu as we were descending was breathtaking. It was late afternoon, so the sun was starting to set. If you have never seen the sun set from inside and airplane then you have got to put that in your bucket list! Its the most beautiful thing that you are going to see in your life, well earth related. The sky we were flying in had different pinks and blues and purples and oranges and it was scattered with little white puffs of clouds. It was like walking in that time of day that is in limbo, neither night nor day, twilight. And that is kind of what I am feeling right now. I'm neither over what happened to me nor am I completely engulfed by it.

"Well, you are. Just try to have some form of fun while you're here please." Vincent told me, bringing me back from my little day dream of being in the sky.

"Hey I'm not all work and no play" but Vincent's look said otherwise. "Fine, I am all work and no play but I promise that I will TRY to add some form of fun in between work. Emphasis on the TRY." I told him as we headed to baggage claim.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can we at least do some touristy thing like, I don't know, go to the beach or a luau at least once, hun?" He kept pleading like a child, which I always found kinda cute.

"Remember that if I did agree to come on this trip it was because there is business here that we are going to be taking care of. Also remember that you agreed to come to help me get all the work done, not to try to make me not do the work, aka the complete opposite of our mission here. But I promise you that if, and only if, we finish everything we have to do business wise here, then you can do whatever you like in Hawaii. Oh, there's your suitcase!" I told him as I saw his bag coming towards us on the carousel. About 6 minutes later my bag appeared and we headed to the pickup area where a car was waiting for us.

Once we got to the hotel we were staying in and checked in we headed up to our room. Yeah, I know what you are thinking, just one room for the two of them? Well let me remind you that this was supposed to be my honeymoon and therefore one room for the newlyweds. Besides Vincent is my brother so I feel comfortable with him, oh and he is going to sleep on the sofa bed (his idea not mine cause I do believe that it would be comfortable for both of us if I was in the sofa bed and he was in the real bed, since he is a lot bigger than me. But nooooooo, he had to go all gentleman on me! Talk about over protective! Jeez!)

"Ok, so what is in the agenda, boss?" Vincent said as he placed my suitcase in the bed.

"Well first of all we have to unpack and get settled in. Then I will call back to the office to see if there has been any changes to our schedule or any new activity there that might need my attention." I told him as I started to move around the room putting things away.

"As you wish." He answered.

We then took about half an hour to unpack, each getting half of the closet and drawer space and half of the bathroom. I did however claimed the whole vanity for myself, request that Vincent was happy to oblige too, cause that meant that he had the TV for himself while I got ready.

"Ok so our schedules are set and we are not needed back at the offices." I told him as I hanged up the phone and finished talking with my secretary Tyler.

"Which means...?" He asked me as he flipped through the channels to see what was on.

"Which means that you are free to do what you like tonight." I told him as I took my things and went to the bathroom to shower (which was still a little foggie from Vincent showering while I talked on the phone).

"Sweet, thanks for the night off hun! I'll just watch some TV while you get ready for dinner." He stopped at a baseball game (men, what is it with them and sports all the time, I just don't get it).

"Ok" I answered as I closed the door to the bathroom.

After I was finished, which was really quick since I did only a very light makeup and I wore a cute sundress and wedges, we went down and had the most amazing food you can imagine. (Ok imagine the best food you have eaten in your life, now times that by ten and that is what I was eating!). We ate some lau-lau, some loco moco and some malasada (we actually shared food so we could taste more of the Hawaiian cuisine).

When we finished we went up to our room and talked to our family (and when they wanna talk, they talk! We spent like 2 hours talking to mom and Alex alone!) Then we cleaned up and went to bed early, since we had a long day ahead of us.


	21. All work and thinking about play

**HEY GUYS! Im SOOOOOO sorry to have kept you waiting this much time! I was in hell (aka summer school) and it really took over my life, like breathing had to be according to the class schedule, yeez, who new this was so effing hard! Well, here is a chapter I was able to write and edit for you! Hope you all like it and again thanks for not giving up on me or the story! You guys are the best ever! I kinda think I went a little deep on this one, don't blame me, If just gotten out of a traumatic experience with orgo.. sooooo this was like a little bit of therapy. ANyway, in case you where wondering I did pass orgo with a perfect score, thank you very much ;) but that meant it ruled my life. At least is over now! Yeey! Have fun reading! All my love, OA.**

**Chapter 20: All work and thinking about play.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

We spent the next two days working! From sunup to sundown, we worked and worked. Well I might be exaggerating a little bit, but still, we worked a lot. We had a lot of meetings with clients to talk about the cases we were currently working with them or just checking that the final arrangement had gone through.

We also had some meetings with realtors since we were looking for a place to open a third branch and Hawaii was a good place to open a small one. Well, it also gave me a reason to come to Hawaii every once in awhile as an excuse to take a mini- weekend vacation whenever I felt extra stressed out. We were also tracking down different lawyers around the island and trying to convince them to join in the new branch we were opening (most of which said yes without even waiting to hear their potential salaries, if I do say so myself).

"Are we even close to done yet?" Vincent asked as he was driving to our next meeting.

"We will be done when we finish, ok? May I remind you that this is a business trip, not a vacation?" I told him as I went through some papers that I had had the office fax to me at the hotel.

"And may I remind you that this was supposed to be a vacation and you said we would have some fun, and work does NOT count missy!" He whined as he took a sharp turn left.

"God, can you be a little bit more careful while driving, I do not have a death wish you know? Besides if I recall correctly I said that there could be fun when we finished work and only IF we finished it, or am I mistaken Keller?" I retorted with a victory smile, since I knew there was no way he could win this battle.

"I can beat anyone in court but I cannot even get through to this women!" Vincent said under his breath and although I heard him I was tempted to ask and see if he would tell me to my face, if he could let me win for once and actually verbalize my victory.

"What did you say?" I asked him.

"Nothing. Just that you are the only woman in the world that can actually desire to move work that you had scheduled for 3 months in the future and put it all in the week she was supposed to be in her honeymoon. Are you even sure that you are human, hun?" He said trying to move the conversation back in the direction where I am the bad guy, or girl in this case.

"Well, first of all I am human, I'm made of flesh and blood and you know that. Second I am trying to keep my mind of of what happened and I have been successful in it. And third if I am already here, why can't I take care of business and get it out of the way so the next time I come here there is an office here waiting for me?" I asked him in my logical tone.

"Although I would much rather be having fun in the beach or relaxing by the pool with a good crime novel, you do have a point about getting ahead in our plans of opening the branch here." He said in his defeated tone, which he used so very rarely.

"Well thank you for agreeing with me at least on that part of my logic." I told him and gave him a little pat on the back so that he wouldn't feel so bad about losing the little battle we had just finished.

"Yes, Ok, Fine! But still, I beg you to just let loose for at least one day and do not work on anything, just take the day for yourself. And before you say anything, I am not doing this for me, I just think that with all you have been through this would be a good thing for you, like some kind of fun therapy session or something. Besides it might end up being a great adventure and the best decision you have taken in your life. Heck, you might end up thanking me for this one day in the future, or not. But who cares! The point is to dive in headfirst and be daring for once in your life, forget about controlling things for a night and let loose, you might be surprised to even find out that you like being wild every once in awhile." He said as he looked my way a couple of times, since he was driving. I noticed that he was trying to tell me something that he thought was important, so I bit the bait and let him go on.

"Can you be a little more specific? An example would be awesome at this point." I told him to encourage him to go on.

"Ok its something like this. It is very bad to have an animal caged for a very long time. Lets say that we have a lioness caged up for about 30 years. (PS I rolled my eyes here cause he couldn't have been more direct if he tried!) She would end up with one of two fates. The First is that she would end up having a rage attack and freaking out because the captivity made her crazy and claustrophobic and she might end up doing something that she would regret the rest of her life. The second option for her is that she becomes so accustomed to this type of life that she gives up on trying to live and just goes on with the emotions of what she thinks life is." He said as he emphasized his example with hand movements.

"And what would you recommend that should be done so that neither of these fates is achieved, zookeeper?" I said to encourage him to go on but making fun of his example at the same time.

"Well so that we can get her to go for option three, we need to let her out of her cage every once in awhile. In a safe environment that is. The people that take care of her should create an area where she feels safe and loved and free so that she can let loose knowing that there will be no consequences where she will do something that she regrets, where there are people there that want what is best for her and will help her with her choices and her health." He said, a very serious tone of voice coming through his explanation meaning that all joke was off the table and that this was serious business now.

"And what is the third option that you just mentioned?" I asked him since know I was curious of what he was thinking and what he was trying to tell me.

"The third option" he said "is a way of life where she is happy with life and she isn't just a robot going through the motions, she lives life in a fulfilling way. Her life is fulled of real joys and real happiness. A life where she can have fun and smile genuinely, a life where she loves and is loved a life like the one she dreams about."

"That sounds wonderful, but I don't think that lives like that exist in the real world, at least not for me, I mean the tigress." I told him in all honesty as that is what I thought. I had never had the life that I wanted because every time I was close to having it, destiny or fate, whatever you wanted to call it, took it away from me. First my mom never loved me, then, when I did find my father and felt him love me, he died and then what, I was going to try to start a family and got stuck with a deceitful, manipulative pig (aka that british douchebag called Evan).

"You're wrong there hun. Although a perfect life does not exist, I do believe that there is a perfect life for each of us, just like the fact that there is no perfect person but there is a perfect someone for each of us. I believe that the perfect life is the ife where, although there are problems and sadness and hurt, you can get through it and still want to continue on. Its the life where you feel wanted and needed and loved and other people, important people in your life, feel the same way when they are with you. Its the life where you live to the fullest and you chase your dreams. Its the life where you decide to open yourself and share that life and yourself with others. Is a life filled with love, because, hun, love can conquer everything. It is what keeps you moving and keeps you wanting to become a better person for someone else, it is what gives meaning to life and what we all strive to find before our time here on earth is done." I could tell that he said all of those things from the bottom of his soul, of his heart.

We stayed silent for a little while. One of those comfortable silences we often had while we processed what had gone on. Me on internalizing what he just had said, and him trying to think of a way to get me to have fun, I presume. Just then we got to the office where our meeting was going to take place in and we parked to go inside.

"Here we go. If we get this guy onboard we can officially start the paperwork to open a branch here in Hawaii." I said with a smile as I checked my clothes before going in.

"Lets go, my lady." Vincent said as he offered me his arm and we strode to the office.


	22. Arrangements

**Hey guys sorry for the delay I had written this a chapter last week but then I went to edit and thought that the chapter that was originally coming in this spot is better used latter on and that I should write something else. So I hope you kinda enjoy this, is more on the filler side, but I thought that I should lighten a little the mood before going where I am going so... let me know what you guys think! OA**

**Chapter 21: Arrangements.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

After we finished our meeting, which I might add was successful, we headed for the offices we needed to go to in order to do the necessary paperwork that would give us permission to do open our branch here. There was so much paperwork involved that I think that in one office alone we might have destroyed a freaking forest. Dang why couldn't these things be done by computer and we could save the planet. And there is my "GO GREEN" side, sorry about that.

Well I think I hadn't mentioned this before but we had already bought a very nicely placed lot where we were to build the office. It was situated on top of a hill that overlooked the ocean on three sides and then to a beautiful forest are on the other. Honestly I fell in love with it when I saw the pictures of it but they didn't make any justice to the real thing. Honestly, if I could have, I would have stayed there for the rest of my life it was beautiful!

And I know what you are thinking. Yes, we were that confident that we would open one office here in Maui. That is because Vincent and I are very determined people and we tend to get what we want, the right and honest way of course. Besides, who would say no to having the best New York Law Firm open an office in their area? You would be crazy to say no, if I do say so myself.

So we already had the lot and we had talked to some contractors and developers and after we finished the papers we let them know that we were just waiting for some permits and that then we would start building and furnishing. We also called the potential employees to let them know how the project was going. Vincent and I had found out that keeping the employees knowledgeable about what the company was doing made for better relationships and extremely layer people and that my friends is rare in this business.

After we had finished all of that we headed towards our hotel room. Oh, don't think that we went there to rest. No, we went there to have access to our computers so that we could make like forty calls (no I am not exaggerating at all!). After we had finished all of that we took a little break.

"I can't believe that we closed the deal and are getting the permits this quick. I assumed that we would do it fast but that not in the speed of light." Vincent said as he stretch, flexing all of his muscles, and that was a great view even if he is my brother. The way his shirt hugged his body, not in a "I'm going to rip to pieces in five seconds flat" but more in a caressing way that showed his figure modestly. How the hell did he find time to work out? I know that he is naturally lean and muscular but he does work out to look like that, the thing that I still can't wrap my brain around is when does he do it? I mean we spend a lot of time working and in meetings so... I'll just won't think about it then cause this is starting to give me a headache.

"Yes dear I agree but we are an efficient couple." I said as I rested my head against the back of the chair and closed my eyes.

"That we are hun." Vincent said from the glass door that lead to the balcony of the room.

I opened my eyes and saw that he had taken his tie off, had unbuttoned and rolled up his sleeves and had unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt. He had his hands crossed across his chest and was leaning against the frame of the glass door, looking out to the sea. The light was shining at such an angle that it appeared to make a bright aura around Vincent's figure, it looked as if the light was coming from someplace inside Vincent. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

Just then he looked at me and smiled, that made my heart stop for a beat or two. It was such a beautiful scene that I would have loved to have the power to pause it and live in it forever.

"What?" He asked me as he moved towards the fridge. He grabbed a bottle of coke and offered me something to drink, which I refused.

"I was just thinking that I have another call to make before we start prepping for tomorrow's alignment of meetings." I told him as I took my cell phone and headed to the balcony to make the call.

"Whatever you say boss." He said smiling and winked at me. He knew that I really didn't like him calling me boss, I had told him several times now that if he wanted to call me something related to work I would much prefer that he called me partner instead of boss, but Vincent loves to get on my last nerve so boss it is.

"You just relax and take the break while I come back." I told him as I went outside, closing the door behind me. Then I dialed the number for my private office back at New York to talk to my secretary.

"Sure I'll just sit here and watch you in action. I always enjoy watching you when you are in full on lawyer mode." He said and winked at me.

I turned around and gave him a playful glare and put my hand on my hips, while taping my heel.

"Fin I'll settle on watching TV." He grunted as he turned to find the remote and turn the TV on.

I turned back and went outside with a smile on my face. He has no idea that I like doing the same thing. Ok, now focus Catherine, time to make some arrangements.


	23. Fun Talks

**I thought that a little fun scene with someone other than Vincent was needed. For me it was like therapy cause I really hated Tyler in the show and I wanted to make her more fun and appealing so I did this little chapter. Just so you know this IS a filler chapter (or at least the first half of it is) for my own entertainment and not so much according to the tone of the story, I just wanted to put it here for anyone that might want to see a more relaxed Cat and a fun-ish Tyler. Oa**

**Chapter 22: Fun Talks.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

"Good afternoon, Thank you for calling Chandler and Associates, Ms. Chandler's office." I heard Taylor say. The woman was like a machine! She would take calls and actually pay attention while typing a letter and filling some papers.

"Hey Tyler its Catherine." I told her smiling because I could hear her shuffling papers, which I presume meant that she had printed all the receipts and paperwork I had sent her by email to be filled latter. She is a very efficient and responsible person. I still have no idea why a person so intelligent would be a secretary, it must be passion for the job.

"Oh hey there. What can I do for you Cat?" We had become friends as well as business partners. One minute she would be taking dictation and the next we were at a bar taking some shots at girl night with Tess, Heather and Alex.

"I just wanted to see what was on the agenda for tomorrow?" I asked her as I hoped there was not much to do the last day that we were to spend here.

"Well, you've got a meeting at nine with the interior decorator to start looking at furnisher for the building and to pick up color schemes for the offices. Oh and you have a one thirty with the caterers to start preparing a menu for the opening gala. After you finish that, which we have no idea how much time it will take, you are free until dinner time when you have dinner at your hotel's restaurant with the realtor to look over potential appartments, well houses cause I don't think they have apartments nowhere near the area of the firm, so that you can buy one and have it to stay in when either you or Vincent go there on business." She told me.

I sigh in relief. "So that means that nothing of immediate need is on the agenda for tomorrow. That's good. Ok so Tyler I'm gonna ask you for a favor. Can you please give me the number of the people I am meeting tomorrow? I wanna call the and cancel, I feel like I need at least a day to enjoy Maui as a tourist, not just as a working woman, a crazy working woman I might add." I told her as I opened the cap of the pen I had taken outside with me ready to write down the numbers.

"Yey! (it was more like a yey squeak for lack of a better word to describe the noise that came out of Tyler's mouth). First of all at last she sees the light! Thank you dear lord! She is taking a day off! Wait, are you sick Cat? Want me to fax you a list of doctors over there in Maui?" She said.

"Ha, Ha, Ha very funny Tyler. And you might wanna tone down the enthusiasm cause I could see the waves of it over here in Maui." I said in the best sarcastic tone that I could while laughing at what she had said.

"As you wish master. (She always said that when she was making fun of me) Ok, Secondly I can make the calls for you, that is my job FYI." She said the last part mimicking a hormonal teenager that was mad at her parents cause they treated her as a child.

Once I controlled my giggles a little, I answered her as best as I could since I was still laughing. "I know that girly but still if I am going to cancel I would rather have to be me and not someone else that tells them. I think it looks a lot better and that would mean that they will have a better image of the company, would want to meet latter when we come back to finalize things and that will make a better job for us since they feel respected by us."

"You've got a point there Cat, as always. And that is why you are our fierce leader in war. Give me a sec while I get you the contact info... Oh, Cat can you give me a sec, I have a call on the other line." She asked me.

"Go ahead and take all the time you need, the client always comes first." I told her

"Yes mother I remember the companies motto." She giggled as she put me on hold.

What am I ever going to do with her. She makes me laugh too much and then I forget what I was going to tell her to do. Well, she always made work fun and she was one hell of a secretary I would bet for her always.

"Still there Cat?" She asked as she took me off hold.

"Still here Tyler. Who was it?" I asked as I twirled the pen between my fingers.

"Well missy, you are in luck. That was the caterer. It seems that the chef came down with the flu and can't make the food for you so that they have to reschedule. I told him that it was fine because you were just about to call him to do that and you could hear the relief in the poor guys voice. He said that they will do it no matter when, just say the word whether you want it in a week or ten years they'll do it." She informed me.

"Well that call couldn't have come in at a better time. So do you have the info for the other two meetings?" I asked. I took note of the people she had talked to to set the meetings as well as the contact numbers we said goodbye.

"Have fun for the both of us and don't forget me when you buy something pretty." She told me with a hint of truthfulness behind the words.

"Of course, I'm thinking of buying Maui for myself which of the other islands do you want me to buy for you?" I said sarcastically as I was about to disconnect the call.

"I would rather you buy me the entire United States so that I could be the first and only Queen of USA. If you are feeling extra generous you can add Guam, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands as well, it would be a real challenge but I am such a graceful person that I would accept it just to not hurt your feelings." She said and I could imagine all the hand movements she would do while those words came out of her mouth.

"Of course, and while I'm at it I'll talk with Queen Elizabeth and buy Canada from her so that you can have all of North America." I said in the same tone she had used to suggest it.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from such a great friend." She said while I could hear she was suppressing a laugh.

"Of course, now I have to cut this fun call short cause I got to go make some calls. By Tyler." I told her.

"Sure, don't forget to call Queen Elizabeth and get a great deal on Canada. Have fun tomorrow Cat! Bye!" And with that the call was ended.

This woman is crazy but I still love her. I made the calls that I had to make. At least they were cool with it and said that that gave them more time to prepare something fabulous for us.

"Ok it was supposed to be one call, not eleven." Vincent said as he changed the channel on the TV. I noticed that he had showered and changed during the time I was making the calls. I also noticed that he had moved from the chair to my bed to watch TV. Dang wet hair does look good on him. Oh, my bed is gonna smell like him when we get back. Ether he was really bored, he couldn't find anything else to see or was faking that he was busy with that instead of paying attention to what I was doing because he was too insistent and focused on channel surfing. And I am certain that he had been looking at me and seeing that I was making the last couple of calls.

"Yes, but one lead to another which lead to another, you get the idea. So change into something festive but comfortable." I told him as I walked toward the dresser to see what I would wear.

"Why? Aren't we supposed to have a meeting with someone for dinner?" He asked and he seemed really confused.

"Yes, but that is what I was arranging. You win, we are taking tonight and tomorrow off and we are going to have some real fun."

He looked back at me with an expression of real and utter confusion. "Really? You are joking hun, right? You changing work for fun, never." He said as he sat on the bed and watched my every move.

"I am being serious Vincent and for that remark I will take a long, long time in the bathroom getting ready, so get comfortable and do some more channel surfing." With that I turned towards the bathroom but not without seeing his dramatic reaction. He threw himself in my bed with a big sigh/grunt and looked at me with big puppy dog eyes.

"You know that does not work with me Keller so quit the act because it will not make me change my mind about taking my sweet time getting ready." I said as I got in the bathroom. Vincent can be such a big baby sometimes but that is one of the reasons why I love him.


	24. Shower Thoughts

**Here is a little insight of what I think Cat is feeling in her own words. I hope that you guys like it and can understand where I am trying to get her emotionally in this story. All my love, OA.**

**Chapter 23: Shower Thoughts.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

As I was in the shower, the warm water running all over my body, I couldn't help myself about thinking. God what is wrong with me. Ok so I know I should be utterly destroyed by the betrayal that I had just gone through with Evan but I'm not. I can't say that I am disappointed in him because he was a backstabbing, deceitful pig but I am mostly disappointed in myself. How the hell can I be such a good lawyer as I am and not even see that the man that I was going to marry was a big liar and manipulative man.

Well being honest with myself, I think that I knew. Deep down I knew that it was true and I was just not wanting to see it. I knew that what Vincent had told me a month before my wedding was true and I only got on the defensive side because I was trying to convince myself that it was not true and that both Vincent and I were wrong about him.

These past few days here at Maui had given me time to really think this through. I now know that not getting married was the best thing in my life because I have realized that I loved Evan but I didn't love him enough. Oh wow, even I got confused by that. Ok so what I mean is that I did love him but I realized that I did not love him as husband material, more like a really good friend that I like being around him. In reality I had fallen in love with the idea of happily ever after, of white dresses and my own family and love forevermore. And in the end I just wanted the fairy tale without realizing that to get it I needed the perfect Prince Charming. God I feel like such an evil person because I had confused feeling comfortable and at easy with Evan and even happy and romantic around him with love and marriage.

I honestly feel bad because I actually don't feel awful of what happened. I actually feel grateful that it did. This experience has opened my eyes to love and myself. It made me notice that I do want to be married and I do want to have a family but I want to be really in love and be loved when and if I do so.

I also realized that even before Evan came into my life, I already had an idea of what that perfect husband for me should be like. But it wasn't until I came to Maui that I really noticed what I really felt.

After I went to live with my Dad and saw how much he loved me and cared for me, who his life revolved around mine, I knew that I wanted that for myself one day. I knew that I needed to conquer my fear of contact, and that is why I decided to give my dad the green light for hugs and kisses. And that was how I knew that I was able to be touched but by people who I trusted. And then Vincent became my best friend and I let him also come near. I think that during some point in that period was when I fell in love with him.

Yes, it took me some many years, and almost wedding and a business trip to Maui to really let myself accept that I was in love with him. I realized that when I was young and I thought of the family I would create for myself in the future it was always with Vincent. I have always thought that the characteristics that make a perfect husband for me are the ones that Vincent has. But I think that I have denied myself these feelings for the one thing I hate in life with all my might; fear.

Fear was what had made me stay with my mother when she was in crazy mode or while she beat me. Fear was what had made me get this awful trauma of being touched. Fear was what at the beginning had lead me to being isolated and friendless when I was a child. Fear of being alone forever (in the having a husband to share a life with) was what lead me to almost get married to Evan. Fear of losing Vincent forever made me swallow how I felt about him. I love him so much that I would rather have him like my brother than not in my life at all. The worse part of this is that I can see that he does love me and I am important to him but as his little sister and nothing else. And taking a chance and telling him might do more harm to our relationship that what I can handle, because I think I can handle having everyone in my life hate me but not him.

I know, I know falling in love with a man with whom you have grown up with, that you kinda share parents with is weird but you know that the heart wants what the heart wants. I love him and there is nothing I can do to stop it unless I rip my heart out, and I don't think that is a really good idea. Besides there are two ideal things from the situation. The first is that there is no problem with the in-laws because they are practically the same for both of us. Secondly the fact that we grew up together gives the relationship an advantage. This lets us know the good and the bad of the other person so well that we would come in to the relationship with no surprises at all. Oh God, look at me thinking that there is a possibility of a relationship between us. Never mind. At least I feel a hell of alot better now that I have finally admitted my feelings about Vincent to myself, and that is how it will continue on. The only other person that will know about this is my dad who is dead and in heaven, but no living person because I will not under any circumstances put my relationship with Vincent on the line. And by connection I will not put in jeopardy my relationship with the Kellers, apart from my dad and Mr. Gabe, they are the only people that have been with me through the good, the bad and the worse and do love me for me the way I love them.

****With that I got out of the shower and got ready. Just in case you are curious... I did my makeup completely different that what I always do. I did a very dramatic and exotic feline smokey eye with some purples and eggplant colors with a hint of silver which, if I do say so myself, bring highlight my eyes and make me look very hot. I opted for some nude lipstick so that the focus would be on my eyes. I also added a little of a lotion that I had that gives you just the perfect amount of shimmer in your body that it looks very elegant and not trashy. Then I curled my hair, in soft curls and I made kind of intricate crown / messy bun with different braided sections of my hair. Finally I pulled on my favorite night dress. It is a little black dress that hugs my curves perfectly. It is off the shoulder with long sleeves and it goes down until mid thigh. But the back, that is the fun of the whole thing. While the front is very elegant and conservative the back is the opposite. It is an intricate arrangement of very fine strings that crisscross my back until a little above my buttox. In reality my back is almost bare but it gives the illusion of being half covered. Now you know why the updo! That I finished with my extra comfy heels. Oh, don't forget the big dangling silver earrings, a nice silver ring on my right hand, a spritz of perfume and we are done. No, I'm not carrying a clutch cause all I need to take with me is my lipstick and my cell phone and I will drop that on Vincent's pockets. Lets go have some fun!


	25. Fun Calls Us

**Hey guys I am sooooooo sorry for making you wait this long! Believe me it pains me more that I don't have the time to write this story! I was able to finish this chapter and I really hope that you guys like it. Thanks for those of you that have stuck with me and kept reading this story even after my life got in the way and had me unable to write for a little while. Thanks and feel free to comment! All my love, Oa.**

**Chapter 24: Fun Calls Us.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters in this story. There owned by The CW, CBS Studios and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.**

As I came out of the bathroom all glammed up for a night of fun I couldn't help myself of taking a deep breath when I saw Vincent. He looked damn good!

He had on one of those leg hugging dressy black jeans. It looked like he was carved with them on! They showed those perfectly muscled legs and that great firm butt of his. He complimented it with one of those white shirts that are specially designed to show every little detail of your chest. These shirts were definitely designed by women just to have an excuse to see the exquisite chest men have even when they are clothed. So thank you genius women cause right now Vincent looks like a God with that hard chest of him hugged by the white fabric that lets me appreciate his six pack. And he looks just delicious with a black fitted leather jacket which he left opened. This gave him a bad boy look while still keeping his warm side. Just when I thought he couldn't get more handsome and inviting here he goes proving me wrong. Suddenly I wished that we were not going out but doing other things that could be done in our room.

Cat focus, don't stare! Just at that moment I noticed that he was looking at me with a very dark look. Oh, crap. He thinks that I look like a slut and he hasn't looked at the back of this thing yet.

"Wow hun, when you say fun you really mean business. I have never seen you like this and I think I have seen you in every way possible. I have to say you look HOT!" He said with a grin.

"Well you haven't seen me in very little, so no you haven't seen me in every way possible" but the fact that he had stated that he thought that I looked hot made me blush and started to radiate a kind of butterfly / heat from my head to my toes, something that I hadn't felt before. Have to say I kinda like it.

"First of all thanks for the compliment, second I really want to feel free and special tonight so I had to go all out on how I looked, third you don't look so bad yourself and finally… you haven't seen the best part of the dress yet." WIth that I deliberately turned around slowly enough to cause an impression and went to the dresser to get a purse. As I opened it I caught Vincent's reflection in the mirror.

He had the dark look again and I just could only imagine what was going through his mind. I turned around and asking what he was thinking.

"I was just thinking oh wow!" he was speechless. I turn back around to hide the smile that was appearing my face in the blush that was painting my cheeks. I grab my bag and then turn back around.

"Well I knew the dress was gonna look awesome. I told you I wanted to feel special and free today and that meant I have to go all out. So anyway, where are we going to have some fun, where you taking me?" I ask with more enthusiasm than I thought I would have.

"That is a surprise" Vincent said as he put his hand on my lower back and guided me out the door.

After a couple of minutes and a short taxi ride we ended up in Kihei, a very popular dance club and sports bar area here at Maui. I still don't understand how he learned about this great place, but apparently, Vincent knows people that knew the best places to check out.

As soon as we got inside I felt very energized and alive. The atmosphere in this place was electric. The music was like a lover that seduced you to give in to your senses and only live in the moment, forgetting all your problems and only living in the moment.

Vincent, with his hand in the small of my back, which by the way was sending delicious electric shock all over my body, guided me to a cozy little table and we sat down to grab some drinks and food. After the waiter left with our order, we settled to a comfortable silence in which we just appreciated what was surrounding us, the place and the people.

"Ok this place is awesome, I should have decided to have fun a lot earlier! I think I could have come here every single night!" I told him as I took a "Maui Muncher" and filled it with some curry pineapple dip and put it in my mouth (to some it might sound weird but it is actually one of the best dips I have had in my entire life!).

He laughed as he grabbed one of the sweet and sour meatballs and ate it. "I told you this since before we got to Hawaii so this is all your own fault young lady!" He used his fake reprimanding voice but it was just funny since he couldn't hide the humor in his eyes even thought I could see that he was trying very hard to do it.

I just took my napkin and rolling it into a ball threw it at him. "Ok smart ass, you said you knew how to make me have a good time, now its time you show me that you can put your money where your mouth is." I said as I rested my back on the seat and waited for him to respond.

He didn't. He just grinned as he took a long, slow drink from his beer. He then stood up and with a wink in my direction walked away. I was sooooo confused. Within a minute he came back with two shot glasses and a bottle of tequila (i know right, mexican drink on hawaii, but what the heck!).

"Oh no you did not!" I told him as he set the glasses side by side in the middle of the table.

"Well judged by the fact that I do have the bottle in my hand and just placed the glasses in front of you, I think it is pretty safe to say that I just did." He said with a grin as he filled the glasses up. Just then one of the waiters came back with a bowl of limes for us.

"Getting a hangover doesn't count as fun for me Vincent. I really don't think this is a good idea." I told him as I wearily looked at the shots in front of us.

"Come on don't you remember or conversion a couple of days back, this trip, this day might end up being a great adventure and the best decision you have taken in your life. You just have to let go for the moment and be free. Let the unguarded, not all planing and simple fun loving Cat out. I know that you like having things controlled because it centers you but for ones live in the moment, let what you want to do versus what you should do dictate your actions tonight. Just for tonight, hun. I promise that I will take care of you, always and forever." He had gone all serious and philosophical on me and had me really thinking about his words.

"Besides you where the one that said that you wanted to feel free and special tonight, so let loose and be free. Cheers." With that he downed his shot and looked at me, waiting for my response.

"Well as the Mexican would say, Salud!" and with that I drowned my own shot causing Vincent to hurrah and laugh from deep within. That, plus I think the tequila added to it, made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

"Ok lover boy let us start having some real fun. Fill me up!" I said to him as I shoved my shot glass in his direction so that he could refill me.

"Your wish is my command, master!" He joked as he filled both of our glasses.

****We both clung our shots and shouted "SALUD!" as we drowned them.


End file.
